


University Life (Nathaniel)

by Tetraktys



Series: My Candy Love University Life [1]
Category: My Candy Love
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-07-28 00:33:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 48,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16230503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tetraktys/pseuds/Tetraktys
Summary: This is not a real fan fiction. I wanted to read the game as if I was reading a proper book or some kind of script, so this is my real gameplay following Nath's route as Nath's ex. Every dialogue.I am going to do the same for Castiel, but no one else, I don't care much for the new routes.





	1. Episode 1 - Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [My Candy Love](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/422768) by Beemov. 



**Part 1 - Registration**  
  
_I didn’t think I’d ever come back to this town. I had to move away with my parents when dad got transferred… I thought I’d be gone for good since high school was over… Out of all university Art History programs to choose from, the one I picked had to bring me here! Chance put a surprising twist on things sometimes…  
In her last text message Rosa, my old best friend from high school, asked me to meet in front of the Art building entrance. I don’t know if I’m even going to recognise her after all this time. Who knows maybe everything has changed between us. After all, it’s been four years. Seriously, there’s really nothing for me to worry about, it’s Rosalya. We got along great back then, it’ll be the same now! When I left we texted each other all the time in the beginning. We were both very busy with school, new friends, and we ended up texting less and less… After a few months we had pretty much stopped texting one another all together. I forgot to answer a message, and then I never did it. Gosh, I have a big knot in my stomach, it’s so dumb. Get a hold of yourself Tetrakys!_  
  
Rosa: “Tetrakys! I can’t believe it! You are beautiful.”  
Me: “Oh, thanks Rosalya. You are not looking too bad yourself! That haircut is totally sexy!”  
Rosa: “Oh… Thanks. I have actually been wearing my hair like this for quite a while. I am so glad you got in touch with me when you got back.”  
Me: “I was so excited about seeing you again.”  
Rosa: “We have got lots of catch up on! The others are going to be thrilled to see you again!”  
Me: “For sure! I haven’t heard from anyone in a long time. Have you stayed in contact with some of the old Sweet Amoris crowd?”  
Rosa: “Lots of them have gone to live somewhere else. Others are still here… You’ll most likely get the chance to run into a few of them.”  
Me: “What about Nathaniel?”  
Rosa: “Oh Nath, I’m sure you’ll run into him, well… You’ll see for yourself.”  
Me: “Meaning?”  
Rosa: “Wait a while, you just got here! I am not going to tell you everything this minute!”  
Me: “The way things ended between Nath and me… it was such a pity.”  
Rosa: “What do you mean?”  
Me: “It’s just that it was rough… The distance… We figured out fast that there was no use in us staying together if we weren’t ever going to see each other. “  
Rosa: “Hmm… True, that kind of relationship is often doomed to failure.”  
_But we couldn’t afford to pay for an apartment or dorm room on campus. Plus, they never would have let me live with him at 17 years old._  
Rosa: “Well, that’s not everything, but I have to give you a tour of the campus! Did you register?”  
Me: “Not in my major, I have to officially validate my arrival.”  
Rosa: “I’ll come with you! Now that I have found you again, I’ll ne-ver-let-you-go, Tetrakys!”  
Me: “It’s almost scary when you say it like that!”  
Rosa: “Admit that you missed me.”  
I looked at her, feeling a wave of nostalgia – that I’d tried to hold back until now – totally overwhelm me.  
Me: “Even more than you think Rosa… Knowing that I am going to experience this new adventure in your company… That changes everything.”  
She hugged me and I hugged her back, feeling kind of excited.  
Rosa: “Okay, come on, let’s get a grip! Your registration isn’t going to get done all by itself. It shouldn’t be too complicated; pretty often registrations are held in a classroom.”  
Me: “Great! Let’s go!”

 

 _There are a lot of people in this university… It’s much bigger than where I was before… I am glad to have Rosalya coming along with me… It makes it less stressful… Whenever it’s the first day of school, whether it’s university or primary school, my stomach is always in knots…!_  
Yeleen: “You are kidding!”  
_Some people really think they own the place… Who is talking so loud like that? There is quite a crowd… What…_  
Yeleen: “Geez, exactly what I was afraid of… Even in the last year, there’s always someone who thinks they are at a circus! Cat got your tongue? You’ve come to the wrong place for sure, right? We are at the art college here, not in one of those hillbilly workshops you must be used to going to.”  
_Why isn’t anyone saying anything? Sure people are even daring to laugh their heads off!_  
Rosa: “Forget it Tetrakys, come on, let’s go. There are jerks everywhere, some things never change.”  
Me: “Geez, I would have at least hoped not to see that kind of behaviour at the university!”  
Yeleen: “People like you discredit the university and make the ratings go down. But fortunately, they never last for long… usually.”  
_I can’t let her get away with that…_  
Chani: “Watch out, I know voodoo rituals that could make you swallow your tongue!”  
Yeleen: “Oh, so Morticia can talk!”  
Me: **“Aren’t we a little too old to be acting like that?!”**  
Yeleen: “Great, a know-it-all, at least you are ready with a quick comeback…”  
Me: “Leave it at that. No one needs to hear your thoughts. Next time, keep them to yourself.”  
Yeleen: “Why? Can’t she defend herself?”  
Me: “Defending herself isn’t the issue – the issue is some people can’t keep from being offensive. Find yourself a more constructive pastime, you are not 15 anymore as far as I can tell.  
Yeleen: “…I don’t have time to waste with you.”  
Me: “So, what are you doing still standing there?”  
Yeleen: “It seems to me you don’t own the hallway. We’ll be meeting again, believe me.”  
Rosa: “Wow! Our little Tetrakys has really changed!”  
Me: “I am not in high school anymore; I am done with that kind of thing.”  
Chani: “Thanks, I was going to send her packing but I couldn’t have done it better!”  
Me: “Sorry, I was fuming I couldn’t help myself… That kind of thing makes my blood boil!”  
Chani: “I have stopped having an answer to everything, I am over that now… But I admit it feels good sometimes.”  
Me: “I admit that let me work off some steam…!”  
Chani: “My name is Chani by the way. Nice to meet you.”  
Me: “I am Tetrakys and this is Rosalya.”  
Rosa: “Nica to meet you too. I love your clothes! I am majoring in psychology here and Tetrakys is back in town to major in modern art history.”  
Chani: “Oh we are going to meet again Tetrakys, we’ve got the same major! For that matter I just registered. It was moved to the main lecture hall. I’ll let you go. While I continue to avoid narrow-minded people!”  
Me: “Good luck with that!”  
Chani: “Yeah looks like that’s not going to be easy this year…”  
Chani walked off in the other direction, giving us a little wave.  
Rosa: “She is nice.”  
Me: “Yeah, I think we are going to get along well.”

 

We walked into the main auditorium.  
Administrative officer: “Everyone’s going to get a dorm room, don’t worry!”  
Me: ”Boy, is there a crowd…”  
Rosa: “Yes.”  
Administrative officer: “And stop all the jabbering! I can’t even hear myself think! About my vacation in Italy… Pizza… Sun… No classes, no university, no noisy students…”  
I lowered the tone of my voice as I spoke to Rosa.  
Me: “Do you have a student dorm room, too?”  
Rosa: “No, Leigh and I live together now.”  
Me: “Really? I didn’t know that’s awesome! So I’ll most likely be roaming with a stranger… Since you don’t have a room here.”  
Rosa: “Yeah… But that means you’ll be meeting people, you’ll see!”  
Administrative officer: “Hello, young ladies, what can I do for you?”  
Me: **“I’m here to enrol in the modern and contemporary art class…”**  
Administrative officer: “Oh, right I see, it’s with our new professor… Mr. Zaidi!”  
Me: “Ok. Do I have to go and meet him to enrol…?”  
Administrative officer: “Absolutely! I don’t know exactly where he is. You’ll find him in one of the rooms in the building, or in the dining hall, or… Uh… That way you’ll get the chance to tour the campus! No better way to learn your way around.”  
Me: “Right… I should be able to manage…”  
Administrative officer: “Fine, good luck.”  
Me: “And for the keys to my dorm room, are you the one I’m supposed to ask?”  
Administrative officer: “Of yes! Let’s have a look… Your name is…?”  
Me: “Tetrakys…”  
Administrative officer: “With a name like that, I could I miss you…!”  
_He isn’t exactly nice…_  
Administrative officer: “Room 719! And, yes, you are with another student, no we don’t have any single rooms left in the dormitories. No, I don’t know who it is. Yes, that’s annoying. No, I can’t change things!”  
Me: “I didn’t say a thing, sir!”  
Administrative officer: “I was a step ahead, believe me, I’m used to it.”  
Me: “Uh… Ok, thanks.”  
Administrative officer: “Next! N-E-X-T!”  
_Boy is this guy adorable…_

 

Once we moved again to the hall:  
Rosa: “I didn’t think it would take it so long!”  
Me: “Yeah, neither did I. We haven’t even started the year yet and I’m already tired.”  
Rosa: “I’ve gotta run, I’ve promised Leigh I’d help him at the end of the day.”  
Me: “For someone who said she never wanted to let me go again, you sure changed your mind fast!”  
Rosa: “You are the one making me feel guilty! Miss ‘I-leave-town-and-loose-touch-with-my-friends-for-four-years’!  
Me: “But I am back now!”  
Rosa: “That’s true. For that matter, why don’t we meet up tonight at the campus bar, to celebrate your return home. OK?”  
Me: “Before the first day…? I’d like not to have a permanent headache for my first class…  
Rosa acted like she hadn’t heard me.  
Rosa: “Besides, I’ll have a surprise for you, too.”  
Me: “Alright… you’ve managed to stir up my curiosity. Way to go.”  
Rosa: “I know you pretty well. See you tonight!”  
Me: Yes! See you later. Hey! Wait up! Where exactly is the bar?”  
_That girl is faster than the speed of light… Well, I guess I’m going to have to figure out where everything is on my own. Either I find my new professor of modern and contemporary art… Or I go to my dorm room first… It’s up to me. I have time on my hands._

 

I walked into Auditorium 2.  
_Looks like there is a big crowd of students here… They seems to be hanging onto one of the students every word… I’m going to get closer to see…_  
Rayan: “For those of you who want to enrol in the modern and contemporary art class, you are in the right place.”  
_Oh finally, I thought I was going to miss signing up…_  
Rayan: “I apologise in advance to the students who had a hard time finding me. I didn’t manage to find a free room until now.”  
_Is he really the teacher? He seems so… young…_  
Rayan: “But now that we’ve found each other, we’re going to stick together for a whole year. It’s a dangerous journey. I don’t promise you’ll come out unharmed… but you’ll come out more educated! So how about that?”  
_Am I dreaming or did he look at me when he said that? I’m dreaming. I’m no better than all other girls eating him up. He’s amazingly charismatic… with a areal talent for charming his audience._  
Rayan: “I’m not going to waste time on the details of this year’s syllabus; I’ll explain all that in the first class. Just be aware that if you chose this major, it’s because you’ve decided to focus on Art in all its forms. And that’s going to change your very perception of life. It’s a great major for students in their last year. So let me congratulate you in advance…”  
_Sounds like he loves what he does… The classes should definitely be interesting!_  
Rayan: “I’m ready to enrol you now. One at a time, please.”  
_Everyone seems to be drinking up his every word. I waited a few second for the most spontaneous students to line up, then I got in line. I didn’t have to wait long._  
Rayan: “Hello! You want to enrol?”  
Me: **Uh, yes. I think so. I mean that’s why I’m here.**  
Rayan: “Seems like you’re having doubts.”  
Me: “No, no, I’m sure!”  
Rayan: “Don’t worry about not being sure: ‘It is the uncertainty that charms one. A mist makes things wonderful.’”  
Me: **“Oscar Wilde?”**  
Rayan: “I see you know your classics, young lady.”  
Me: “He is one of my favourite authors…”  
Rayan: “So, there are at least two of us here. Do you want to attend my classes…?”  
Me: **“Absolutely. And therefore as such “let myself be charmed”, as you so eloquently put it.”**  
He gave me a surprised look. Rayan: “…I see.”  
_Geez, what’s gotten into me!_  
Rayan: “You’re setting very high standard… I like challenges. I’m therefore making it a personal challenge: my classes won’t disappoint you, young lady. May I have a name to finalize your registration, please?”  
Me: “Tetrakys.”  
Rayan: “So you’re registered. Thrilled to have one more student in my class.”  
Me: “Thanks!”  
Rayan: “I’ve already told a few students: on my way here, I saw the café next to Sweet Amoris high school is looking for a student to wait tables. Maybe you’d be interested?”  
Me: **“Oh thanks! That’s exactly the type of part-time job I need.”**  
Me: “I’ll go try my luck as soon as possible.”  
Rayan: “Between the two of us… There are only three students who know about it and you seem to be the most self-confident…”  
He winks at me inconspicuously.  
Me: “Thanks for everything, sir. I’ll go later this afternoon.”  
Rayan: “You’re welcome. You’ve made me lose track of time, Tetrakys… I’m going to take care of the other students… Have a nice day.”  
I headed towards the exit. But I couldn’t keep myself from looking back before leaving the classroom… This professor is… intriguing.

 

 

I went back into the hall and was about to leave the Art building when something on the bulletin board caught my eye.  
_That’s a poster… For Castiel’s concert! It’s a month from now…_

[ ](https://ibb.co/khUQB9)

_I never thought he’d get so far… Still, Rosa and I should go to the concert; I’ll suggest it to her tonight._

 

While I was walking through the Campus Quad to get to my room I heard someone calling my name.  
Melody: “Tetrakys! You are back in town?”  
Me: “Melody! I wasn’t expecting to run into you here!”  
Melody: “Yep! I never left town.”  
Me: “ **Melody! We’re going to be able to get everyone back together in the old gang!** ”  
Melody: “I would’ve loved to! But I don’t think… You know, lots of the Sweet Amoris kids left town…”  
Me: “Yeah… That’s the impression I got…”  
Melody: “So what are you doing here?”  
Me: “I came back to do the Modern and Contemporary Art program.”  
Melody: “Oh, with Mr. Zaidi! I’m his teacher’s aide this year! In fact, I helped him organise all the events related to the program.”  
Me: “Oh right…”  
Melody: “It’s the first time one of the students has been picked to be a teacher’s aide!”  
Me: “ **That’s quite a responsibility…** ”  
Melody: “You can say that again, plus Mr. Zaidi takes the role really seriously.”  
Me: “By the way, heard anything about Nathaniel? Is he still around?”  
Melody: “Oh yeah, he’s around… But I don’t have any news, no… I’m not interested.”  
Me:  **“Oh really? I don’t have any news either… I wonder what he’s up to…”**  
_Our break-up was so rough after high-school… Sometimes I think I would have liked to stay in touch. My stomach is in knots just thinking about seeing him again._  
Melody: “Believe me, nothing interesting. Let’s just say… he changed a lot after leaving home… In any case, we never see him at university.”  
Me: “Meaning?”  
Melody: “Let’s just say he is more interested in student parties than studying.”  
Me: “Uh… Are we talking about the same Nathaniel?”  
Melody: “I assure you, we are definitely talking about the same guy. You’ll see. Anyway, I’ve gotta run, Raya… Uh, Mr. Zaidi must be waiting for me to finalize the registrations.”  
Me: **“Wait up! Tonight, Rosalya and I are having a drink at the campus pub to rehash old times! Wanna join us?”**  
Melody: “Oh, that’s so sweet! I hope I’ll have finished what I have to do, and if I do, I’ll join you!”  
Me: “Great! See you later!”

Melody left and I walked toward the Dormitory Hall.  
_That’s the dormitory building. There’s a part for girls and a part for boys. And we are not allowed to mix. I would have thought that once at university, “rules” like that would stop… apparently not. The campus is really huge when you think about it. I must not be far from my room now… There’s an elevator. I’ll check that out. It must be over this way. Room 719… So, my roommate may not be here yet… Still, I can hear a female voice coming through the crack in the door._  
Yeleen: “Yes! No, but wait a sec, it’s t-i-n-y! This space can’t be meant for two.”  
_Oh, it would appear that it is…_  
Yeleen: “I hope I’ll be with a little first-year student who’ll drop out during the year!”  
_She’s going to be disappointed…_  
Yeleen: “That way I’d have the other side of the closet… I can’t see how I’m supposed to fit all my stuff in there!”  
_OK, here I go! We’re going to spend a year together in the same room, now’s the time to make a good impression!_  
I entered into the room and…  
_That girl! Please, no…!_  
Yeleen: “You said you’d come!”  
_She’s on the phone. She hasn’t seen me yet… Maybe I have time to get away and beg the admin officer to find me a closet somewhere on campus!_  
Yeleen: “It’s always the same thing!! I… Alright, forget it. Whatever… Next month. Yeah, love ya.”  
She ended the call and turned around to see me standing on the threshold.  
Yeleen: “What the… You? Seriously?”  
Me: “Yes, apparently.”  
Yeleen: “There are over 3000 students on campus and the two of us had to end u together.”  
Me: **“Ironic, isn’t it?”**  
Yeleen: “You can say that again! Alright… We don’t really have a choice. So…”  
Me: “So we’ll make do…”  
Yeleen: “Here. I’ll let you get settled…”  
Me: **“I guess I get the bed without all the stuff already spread on it…”**  
Yeleen: “Aren’t you perceptive. That gives us one thing in common.”  
Me: “Very funny.”  
_What nerve!_  
Me: **“Think whatever you want, I’m going to take this side here, we’re not obligated to talk.”**  
Yeleen: “Well, I was counting on that anyway. I’m not the one who’s going to ask you how your day went or sing you bedtime lullabies.”  
Me: “Believe me, that’s definitely not what I want.”  
Yeleen: “Perfect, we’re on the same wavelength.”  
_I get the feeling I’m going to love this year…_  
Yeleen: “I’m Yeleen by the way, please don’t take all the space in the closet, I haven’t finished unpacking my stuff.”  
Me: “I’m Tetrakys.”  
Yeleen: “Awesome, great, thrilled, have a nice day.”  
She walked out, slamming the door...  
_So, I can’t let this get to me. The first day of class hasn’t even started! Still, I’m going to change clothes before going to the café… Better to make a good impression right from the start._  
I changed my clothes and headed to the café without further delay.  
_Let’s see if I can land the job… I have time on my hands before tonight._

 

 

**Part 2 – Café and Orientation meeting**

  
I walked out through the campus gate in the beautiful sunny weather.  
_The campus seems nice. I’m not used to the place yet, but I think I could be soon. Now off to the café. It mustn’t be too far. It’s the same café we used to go to back in high school. A part-time job wouldn’t be so bad… This is definitely the first time I’ve ever done anything like this… Great, here it is. I made it. It’s strange to be back here after all these years… Up until now, I’ve been checking out the campus that I’d never been on… but this… This is different. We used to come here on a regular base. The café’s changed. It doesn’t have the same name… It’s the ‘Cosy Bear Café’ now. Meeting up for drinks after class with Rosalya, Alexy, Iris, Violette, Priya and the others… All the memories are flooding back to me. A wave of emotion makes my heart ache… My eyes are all misty. I remember now… It was really heartbreaking to leave this town… And now I feel like I’m a foreigner. I shook my head to try and snap out of it. Now is not the time, Tetrakys! You’re not going to start crying tight in front your “maybe” future place of employment. Get a grip!_  
I made myself take a deep breath. I took a deep breath.  
_Come on, I have to go in!_  
Hyun: “Hi, welcome!”  
Me: “Hi…”  
Hyun: “Do you want to have a seat? Can I get you something?”  
Me: “Thanks, but I’m here for the waitressing job… I’d like to apply.”  
Hyun: “Oh great, you’re the first one to apply!”  
_I got lucky this time._  
Hyun: “I’m going to ask you a few questions to find out if you have the profile we’re looking for.”  
Me: “OK.”  
_Already? I didn’t prepare anything!_ He pulled out two chairs, as motioned for me to sit down.  
Hyun: “Have you ever worked in a café bar before?”  
Me:  **“No, not really. But I learn fast!”**  
Hyun: “Thanks for being honest about that. You’ll see, it’s pretty easy.”  
Me: “I can’t wait to see that.”  
Hyun: “What’s your main quality?”  
Me: **“My sense of humour.”**  
Hyun: “Oh really? It’s easier to bond with the customers. It’s the best way to make them loyal.”  
Whew… looks like I didn’t handle that too badly.  
Hyun: “What’s a macchiato?”  
Me: **“A fancy coffee with milk, for hipsters.”**  
Hyun: “Excellent, that’s a much better definition! I think I’ll change the name on the menu.”  
_I talk nonsense when I’m stressed out. Fortunately he has a sense of humour._  
Hyun: “A little piece of advice nevertheless, just call it a macchiato in front of the boss.”  
Me: “Sure, I won’t forget.”  
Hyun: “One last question. Well… it’s a riddle.”  
Me: “OK.”  
Hyun: “Complete this series of words: lunch, chocolate, tea, eat…”  
Me: **“Atmosphere”**  
Hyun: “Exactly! The next word begins by the last two letters of the previous word. It was just a simple riddle to test your logic.”  
_Phew, that was a close call._  
Hyun: “I’m going to take your application but unfortunately the boss is out for the moment… You’ll have to come back later…”  
Me: “Oh, sure! No problem…”  
Hyun: “But… Would you like a drink? There’s no one around, and I was about to take a break.”  
Me: “Yes, great idea!”  
“That’s really nice, but I have other plans unfortunately…”  
Hyun: “What would you like?”  
Me:  **“Coffee.”**  
Hyun: “I’ll have the same thing as you. I’ll let you take a seat outside.”  
I walked out the front of the café and the sun warmed my skin immediately.  
_The terrace is practically empty. I’m going to choose the best table._  
Hyun: “And here you are, Miss.”  
Me: “Thanks! I didn’t even introduce myself. My name’s Tetrakys.”  
Hyun: “Nice to meet you Tetrakys; my name’s Hyun. Tell me, Tetrakys, I’ve never seen you around before… And we run into everyone here. So I guess you haven’t been in town long.”  
Me: **“Touché, Sherlock!”**  
Hyun: “I love riddles. What brings you to our little town?”  
Me: “I’m here for my last year university in Modern and Contemporary Art History. But several years ago I was a student at Sweet Amoris High, right next to this café.”  
Hyun: “You actually know the town better than me; I haven’t been here long at all.”  
Me: “Oh really?”  
Hyun: “Yes… But that’ll change I guess.”  
Me: “I kind of know my way around, at least I did back when I was in high school. But I didn’t know my way around over on the campus, I mean the university and all. I get the impression a lot of things have changed…”  
Hyun: “Seeing how you’ve been around, I guess you already have your favourite places, friends and a boyfriend?”  
Me: **“Well, I have a few friends from high school who still live here, yes. But I just got here this morning.”**  
Hyun: “Oh, right, that’s what I call recent! Well, I volunteer…”  
Me: “Uh…”  
Hyun: “To show you around town! I wasn’t talking about…”  
He started blushing. We looked at each other for a second without saying anything. Then we both burst out laughing.  
_Today isn’t getting off to such a bad start after all._

 

[ ](https://ibb.co/fECFdp)

 Hyun: “I have to get back to work; I kind of went over my break time.”  
Me: “In any case, thanks! So here’s my application. I’m counting on you.”  
Hyun: “And I’m counting on you to come back later in the week. Clemence will be here all week…”  
Me: “Clemence?”  
Hyun: “Yes. She’s the café manager…”  
Me: “Oh, great. Thanks for everything, Hyun!”  
_Perfect, I’m going to be able to meet up with Rosa the bar!_

 

I ran into Chani on my way back.

Chani: “So did you end up finding the place for registering?”  
Me: “Yes, perfect, thanks again!”  
Chani: “I’m going to check out my room now. I already met the charming admin officer…”  
Me: “Yeah, I got the once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience him, too.  
Chani: “He asked me if I wouldn’t prefer a coffin. What an adorable man.”  
Me: **“Believe me, as far as I’m concerned, I would’ve preferred a coffin.”**  
Chani: “The dorm rooms are that small?”  
Me: “No, but guess what, you’ve already met my roommate.”  
Chani: “Oh yeah, really?”  
Me: “The charming Yeleen.”  
Chani: “That doesn’t ring a bell…”  
Me: “I’m the one who interrupted your conversation in the hallway earlier today.”  
Chani: “Oooooh… Her. Boy, do I envy you.”  
Me: “Don’t you though?”  
Chani: “I know the admin officer doesn’t seem nice right off the bat… But you could maybe try to negotiate with him to change rooms.”  
Me: “You think so?”  
Chani: “You never know! With a little luck, there might be a student who didn’t show up for registration. Or a deadly virus infected part of the campus and the students had to be evacuated before they turned into zombies.”  
Me: “The first hypothesis seems more realistic to me.”  
Chani: “Never underestimate a zombie attack. Never!”  
_She might not be wrong, haha._  
Chani: “In any case, you should hurry, don’t forget we have an orientation meeting in a few hours…  
_Orientation meeting! That had totally slipped my mind!_  
Chani: “Considering your face, I guess it was good I reminded you.”  
Me: “Thanks Chani! I’m going to follow your advice. Want to meet up later for the meeting?”  
Chani: “I’ll be there.”  
Me: **“I’m meeting a girlfriend for a drink at the bar on campus tonight. Want to join us?”**  
Chani: “To tell the truth, that would do me a world of good. I feel like today has lasted a whole year… I’ll reconfirm that at the meeting later on.”  
Me: “Great!”  
_I’m going to go there right away. Otherwise I’m likely to miss the orientation meeting._

 

 _I have to go find the darn admin officer._  
I reached the Main Auditorium.  
_This is where he was handing out keys for the rooms earlier… But it doesn’t look like he’s here. I don’t even know why I’m persisting. I’m sure it’s a lost cause._  
Suddenly a cute guy with blue eyes wearing a brown leather jacket entered the Auditorium with a confused and somewhat resigned look on his face.  
Morgan: “Uh, sorry, I must be in the wrong place.”  
_He’s about to go back out._  
Me: “Wait! Maybe you can help me?”  
Morgan: “Looks like I’m not the only one around here getting lost.”  
Me: “No, it’s really huge here, don’t you think?”  
Morgan: “That’s reassuring. I was afraid of being the only one looking like a moron.”  
_Uh well, at least there are two of us._  
Morgan: “So did you need help?”  
Me: “Yes, I’m looking for the infamous admin officer who was handling registrations here this morning. You wouldn’t happen to have seen him by any chance?”  
Morgan: “Oh…Him! No, sorry. The last time I saw him he was carrying tons of files. And he seemed to be looking for a nice, quiet place to nap without being seen by anyone.”  
Me: “That definitely sounds like him…”  
Morgan: “He was mumbling something about Italy… or his vacation… or who knows what.”  
Me: “Yes, that’s definitely him! All I have to do now is find him.”  
Me: **“You looked lost, too.”**  
Morgan: “Yeah, I was looking for the dorms… All the same, a really nice guy gave me some pretty clear directions, but I guess I misunderstood. But that must be the only building I haven’t gone into yet. The one that’s at the back of the Quad.”  
Me: “That’s the one.”  
Morgan: “And for that matter, now that I think of it… I remember where I came across the infamous admin officer! He was going into the library.”  
Me: “Oh thanks! I’ll head there now.”  
I started walking away, then did an about-face.

Me: “By the way, my name is Tetrakys."  
Morgan: “I’m Morgan. Glad I ran into you!”

 

Once outside in the Quad, I turned right and headed towards the library.  
_The library. Generally, the perfect place when you’re looking for a little peace and quiet…_  
_OK, if he isn’t here, I’ll permanently give up searching. I’ve barely got half an hour before the meeting starts… There he is! Gosh, he’s sleeping. I’m not going to wake him up for this. I’m likely to recklessly lower my chancer of him replying favourably to my request._  
**Wake him up gently.**  
Me: “…S-Sir?”  
Administrative officer: “ZzzZz”  
Me: “Ahem… Sir?”  
Administrative officer: “ZZzz… sole… spiaggia…”  
_Tetrakys you can still make a run for it._  
Me: “Siiiiirrr?”  
Administrative officer: “GIULIANA!”  
Me: “Uh no… I’m not Giuliana… I’m Tetrakys, remember me?”  
Administrative officer: “Wh-what? Where am I?”  
Me: “You’re at Anteros Academy, sir… You’re the admin officer…”  
Administrative officer: “What in the world are you doing here?”  
Me: “I’m honestly sorry to bother you, I didn’t want to, but…”  
Administrative officer: “However, it doesn’t seem to have bothered you enough to make you drop the idea!”  
_This is getting off to a bad start…_  
Me: **“It was to remind you about the orientation meeting! I wouldn’t want you to miss it.”**  
Administrative officer: “The orientation meeting! Oh my goodness gracious! I almost didn’t wake up!”  
Right, fortunately I was around just for that… and nothing else.  
Administrative officer: “That’s thoughtful. Thanks.”  
Me: “And…”  
Administrative officer: “So what, you want a gold star? A note to your parents so they’ll be proud of you?”  
Me: “I can do without that. No, I would’ve liked to know if…”  
Administrative officer: “Well… It’s nice to see a student come and talk to me about something other than dormitories and changing rooms. I appreciate that, young lady. I’ll be sure to remember it.”  
Me:  **“Precisely… Speaking of which…”**  
Administrative officer: “Let me stop you right there; there are no rooms available. But seeing how you were concerned about me coming to the meeting, I’ll make sure I remember if ever a student is lost along the way!”  
Me: “If ever a student is lost?”  
Administrative officer: “Oh yes, accidents do happen!”  
_Charming…_  
Administrative officer: “Well, see you later, young lady. Have a nice school year.”  
Me: “Th-thanks.”

 

I left the library and rushed toward the Dining Hall.  
_It looks like it just started._  
Chani: “There’s quite a crowd; we’re going to have to stand.”  
Me: “I’d rather stay close to the exit… You never know.”  
Chani: “I see you glancing over at Yeleen… You didn’t manage to get what you wanted?”  
Me: “No, not really.”  
At that moment a lady with striking yellow glasses, hot pink blouse and cool tattoos on her right arm, addressed the whole room.  
Miss Paltry: “Welcome to Anteros Academy! I’m here to present a very specific course that will allow you to exchange with other students in different majors.”  
Different majors? So maybe I’m going to have class with Rosalya!  
Miss Paltry: “Does anyone know what a self-improvement class is?”  
Me:  **“A class that lets people talk about their day-to-day problems and the news.”**  
Yeleen: “No need to show off. You’re far from being the only one who looked into the topic.”  
_She said that softly, only Chani and I could have heard her. I turned bright red. But it’s better not to respond to that kind of attack. I’ll just encourage her._  
Miss Paltry: “That’s exactly what it is. It’s a time for sharing about the news or about problems affecting the university or your lives, more personally.”  
_Mr. Zaidi still has that caring look in his eye… It’s nice, somehow I feel like he’s encouraging me. For once, I’m glad I wasn’t at a loss for words._  
Miss Paltry: “To be more specific, it’s a totally optional class. It’s up to you to see if you feel the need to talk about certain topics.”  
_If it’s optional… Might as well use the time wisely for more important subjects…_  
Miss Paltry: “Be aware also, that those who attend will get a ‘bonus’ recorded in their transcripts at the end of the year. And it’s always good to stack all the odds in your favour.”  
_I get it, it’s optional… But attendance is ‘highly regarded’._  
Miss Paltry: “The number of seats is limited per class. You’ll need to sign up early if you really want to attend.”  
A wave of murmuring travelled through the group of students…  
The class doesn’t seem to thrill everyone.  
Miss Paltry: “I’ll be running the course. And I’ll always be attentive to the subjects you want to discuss.”  
Chani: “Bummer, it would’ve been nice if Mr. Zaidi were running it… We’d never tire of looking at him at least.  
Me: “Chani!”  
Miss Paltry: “Don’t try to tell me you are indifferent to his face, even I got a little chill when I walked into the classroom to register this morning.”  
Me: **“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”**  
Chani: “Darn, my new college friend is a horrible liar!”  
_She winked at me._  
Miss Paltry: “That’s the end of my presentation; it was actually more of an explanation about this specific class than a real orientation meeting. But I’ll leave it up to your various teachers to take care of that when you go to your first classes next Monday!”  
A round of applause is heard.  
Chani: “So I thought about your invitation. I’ve got two or three things to do and I’ll meet up with you right afterwards.”  
Me: “OK, cool. It’ll be fun!”  
Chani: “See you in a little while!”  
_Well, since Yeleen doesn’t seem to be rushing back to our room, I should go redo my makeup before meeting up with Rosa._  
However, she reached me just outside the Campus Quad.  
_On no, I thought I was ahead of her._  
Yeleen: “Don’t make such a face. It’s not as if we were going to be able to avoid each other all year.”  
Me: “No, considering we share a room.”  
Yeleen: “Believe me, I really tried to change things…”  
_What does she mean…? Did she try to see the admin officer, too?_  
Rayan: “My favourite two students!”  
_Her? His favourite? Instinctively, I wouldn’t have thought she was Mr. Zaidi’s *type*…_  
Rayan: “Rest assured, I say that to all my students. That way I’m sure they’ll all look forward to coming to my class on Monday.”  
Yeleen: “To your class, for sure… That’s not a pain.”  
_Does she really want to talk to a teacher about that?_  
Yeleen: “Tetrakys can explain better than I can.”  
Rayan: “I’m all ears.”  
This girl definitely has a gift for getting me into uncomfortable situations.  
Me:  **“It’s just the first day of school – that’s always overwhelming…”**  
Rayan: “Take heart, whether you’re a teacher or a student, you’ll always get that impression.”  
Mr. Zaidi seems distracted, all of a sudden.  
Rayan: “Ladies, I’ll leave you to the rest of your day. Stay focused on positive things. I know it’s not easy, believe me. But you’ll manage.”  
He tightened his bag over his shoulder and left Yeleen and me to face. She headed towards the campus exit without another word.  
_I pass by the room and join Rosalya just after. Maybe that’ll help me forget the day. I get the impression today has been a series of misfires. The admin officer, my roommate… And now I wonder if I really made a good impression at the café… I have to stop dwelling on it._  
I pushed my hand down on the door handle and managed to open it about 20 cm…  
_It seems like something is blocking the door. The idea that Yeleen could have changed the lock cross my mind… But the door was definitely unlocked; it just seems like something heavy is keeping it from opening… All the same, I was here just a few hours ago and everything was working fine._  
**(Push on the door.)**  
_Geez, after all, it’s my room too!_  
I pressed all my weight against the door, showing with my shoulder and knee. All of a sudden, I got the impression that the weight pushing against the door just vanished.  
_Right, better for me to go into my room before drawing too much attention. What in the world could have been pushing against the door…? Oh no… It’s my suitcase… It came open and spewed all my stuff on the floor, in front of the door. But what was it doing there? Yeleen must have moved everything… True, I left in a hurry… Now all I have to do is put everything away…_  
I started putting my clothes in the closet.  
_It’s not exactly big…_  
I energetically pushed the row of hangers to make room… A little too energetically apparently.  
_Darn!! It looks like Yeleen had put one of her cans of paint at the top of the closet… And it went flying onto her top bunk… There’s paint all over the sheets! If she comes in and sees this… I’ll be signing my own death warrant. Still, what a dumb idea to put a can of paint up there! If she had been the one trying to put away her stuff, the same thing would’ve happened to her._  
**_I’m going to change the sheets on her bed and replace them with mine._**  
_After all, I’m the one that screwed up, I’m the one who should fix the mess I made._  
I took off her sheets and folded them in a corner next to the can of paint.  
_That will be sufficiently explicit, I’d say…_  
I took the sheets off my bed and remade hers.  
_My parents are supposed to send me the rest of my stuff this week. I won’t have any spare sheets. Which means tonight I’m going to sleep without sheets on my bed… Great. Really, the year is getting off to a better and better start._  
I put on some perfume and redid my makeup before going out.  
_Perfect! I’m going to meet up with Rosa; things will be better there._

 

**Part 3 – Night out**

  
_I don’t even know where the stupid bar is._  
I left the university campus, walked for a while and ended up in front of Cosy Bear Café.  
_No, I’m in front of the café again! I must have missed a street, it’s not here… I have to backtrack… A street… With bars. It must be here._  
Rosa: ”Tetrakys! You found it!”  
Me: “Yes, thanks for giving such clear directions, Rosa…”  
Rosa: ”I was counting on your sense of direction.”  
I nodded, smiling. _She doesn’t seem to have changed much, for sure._  
Me: “Shall we go?”  
Rosa: ”Wait, I told you I had a surprise for you…”  
Me: “And so?”  
Rosa: ”Tadaaaaaaaaaa!”  
Me: “A-Alexy…”  
_I feel really weird all of a sudden… In a fraction of a second, I realised how much I had missed him._  
Alexy: “Imagine that! Look who’s back…”  
Me: “I…”  
_I don’t know what to say to him… And what if he were mad at me for not keeping in touch?_  
Alexy: “Don’t make such a face, I’m not a ghost!”  
Without giving another thought, I threw myself into his arms.  
Alexy: “Hey! The way I remember it, I was the one giving you the hugs!”  
Me: “Sorry… It’s just that… I’m so happy you’re here.”  
Me: **“I missed you so much!”**  
Alexy: “I missed you a lot, too…”  
He messed my hair up… Just as affectionately as before.  
Me: “I’m glad to see things haven’t changed! The two of you who still hang out… and now I’m back and together with you!”  
Alexy: “We can reunite the dream team from before!”  
Me: “Gladly! Are you taking classes here?”  
Alexy: “Yes, I’m doing sociology.”  
Me: “What about Armin? Is he doing the same program?”  
Alexy: “Armin was recruited by an IT security company. Since he pretty much hacked anything he could get his hands on, he was finally noticed… Things could have gone pretty badly for him. In the end, he was very lucky. He lives pretty far away now… But we still see one another for big family events.”  
Me: “Oh, I see…”  
Alexy: “Don’t be disappointed… He’s following the path meant for him!”  
Me: “There’s no doubt about that.”  
_Still, he was a good friend._  
Alexy: Don’t make that face, maybe we’ll run into him again; he comes to visit sometimes when he remembers he has a family beyond video games!”  
Me: “That definitely sounds like the Armin I remember, haha.”  
He winked at me.  
Me: “What about you Alexy… Are you… Do you have someone?”  
“So, what did I miss?! Tell me everything!”  
Alexy: “In fact… Not much… Nothing really changes.”  
Rosa: “And how about we talk instead about the guy we ran into on campus this morning!”  
Alexy: “No, we will not talk about that for the thousandth time Rosalya, because there’s nothing to say…!”  
Me: “Oh, now I’m curious…”  
Alexy: “So, instead of staying on that topic, don’t you think we should go closer to…”  
Rosa: “Oh yes!”  
Me: “What are you two cooking up?”  
Alexy: “There’s another surprise waiting for you, and she’s not going to be happy if we take too long… if you see what I mean, Rosa…”  
Me: “Another surprise?”  
Rosa: “Oh, yes! But I’m so glad to see you again I almost forgot about the rest! Let’s go to the bar!”

  
We entered into the bar called ‘Snake Room’.  
Priya: “Tetrakys!”  
Me: ”Priya! You are here too!”  
Priya: “Apparently you are the only one who moved away.”  
She hugged me.  
Priya: “We’ve got lots of things to catch up on and tell each other.”  
Me: “That’s for sure.”  
Alexy: “Right, but how about we start by getting something to drink?!”  
Me: “Excellent idea.”  
Rosa: “Sit down, I’ll go order a round of mojitos.”  
Rosa got up, ready to head for the bar.  
Me:  **“I’d rather have a beer to start with.”**  
Priya: “Perfect! One for me too, please, Rosalya!”  
Alexy: “A mojito suits me fine!”  
Rosa ran off quickly to the bar.  
Me: “In fact, lots of you didn’t leave town…”  
Priya: “Nope! But we were all really sad when you left.”  
Alexy: “You can say that again; I know one person who took forever to get over it…”  
He nodded his head towards Rosalya who is ordering at the bar…  
Me: “Really?”  
Alexy: “Of course, really! What did you think? That a great friendship is forgotten just like that?! You left us high and dry, babe!”  
Me: “Babe?”  
Priya: “Hahaha some things never change as far as I can see.”  
Rosa: “Here are your drinks, kids.”  
Alexy: “Thanks, mommy!”  
Me: **“What are you studying, Priya?”**  
Priya: “I’m in law school.”  
Me: “Does that means that we’ll run into each other on campus?”  
Priya: “More or less, yes. I’m taking classes at Anteros Academy too! And you? What has brought you back to town?”  
Me: “The only major I’m interested in is offered here. I mean, I could have looked elsewhere, but I knew that I’d be back in touch with Rosalya. But I’m really glad to see she’s not the only one!”  
Priya: “Oh! So it’s fate that has reunited us, apparently…”  
Me: “You could look at it that way, I guess…”  
Rosa: “So, how’s your dorm room?”  
Me: “A catastrophe… I’m sharing with the infamous girl we met in the hallway this morning…”  
Rosa: “Chani?? But she seemed adorable…”  
Me: “No… The other girl.”  
Rosa: “The other girl? Oh no… you mean the one you sent packing this morning in front of almost everyone on campus?!”  
Me: “Exactly…”  
Me: **“You know, maybe we misjudged her and things are going to go just fine.”**  
Priya: “You’re right to look at the bright side, in any case, if she gets on your nerves, we’ll make sure she eats dirt!”  
Alexy: “Maybe we won’t go that far.”  
Rosa: “Oh, we did much worse back in high school.”  
Me: “To tell the truth I was trying to convince myself more than anything else…”  
Priya: “Don’t worry, the law school building I’m in is next to the dorms. If anything whatsoever happens call me for help, I’ll come recite the constitutional law to her to put her to sleep.”  
Me: “Hahaha, great method!”  
Priya: “Gentle but efficient, believe me.”  
We sipped our drinks, unhurried, and the conversation turned to happier topics.  
Me: “By the way, this afternoon I came across a poster for one of Castiel’s concerts…”  
Alexy: “The real question is: how did you manage not to come across it right when you got to town. The posters are all over the place!”  
Me: “Oh yeah? I hadn’t really noticed…”  
Priya: “I always wondered if you had a secret affair with him… that you hid from us in high school!”  
Me: “No! I would never have hidden such a thing!”  
Alexy: “We believe you!”  
Me: “It doesn’t sound like it…”  
Rosa: “Sure we do, Priya was kidding you! And so, you want us to all go to the concert together?”  
Me: “Yeah, I thought it would be a good excuse for celebrating the start of the school year.”  
Priya: “As id we needed an excuse to party.”  
Alexy: “Well, in any case, we’ll be there… Like everyone in town!”  
Me: “Seriously? They’re that famous?”  
Rosa: “You have no idea…”  
Me: “I was going to ask more questions, but the topic of conversation changed.”  
Rosa, Alexy and Priya told me a few university stories. Their teachers, student parties, exams, etc.)  
_Exams… Just thinking about them makes me dizzy! This is my last year, I’d better not screw up._  
Melody: “Hi! Hope I’m not too late.”  
Rosa: “Melody??”  
Me: “Yeah, I forgot to tell you I invited Melody, and Chani should be here soon, too. I didn’t realize there’d be so many of us!”  
Priya: “Don’t worry Tetrakys, there’s enough room for everyone.”  
Alexy: “We’re drinking alcohol Melody, I hope you don’t mind too much…”  
Melody: “Not for me… But do exactly as you please…”  
Chani: “Not for me, either. I only feed on blood. You understand…”  
All my friends turned around to look a Chani with a shocked expression on their faces.  
Chani: “I’m joking! Sorry, people tend to take me for a psychopath because I dress in black, so I like exaggerating some things.”  
Priya: “Hahaha, I really like that kind of humour!”  
Rosa: “Nice to see you again, Chani, take a seat, ladies.”  
Melody sat down across from Chani instead of sitting next to her…  
Me: “Have you had time to see your room, Chani?”  
Chani: “Yes, but not my roommate, unless she’s invisible…”  
Rosa: “That’s exactly what Tetrakys needs, an invisible roommate!”  
Me: “Yeah, my really charming roommate…”  
Melody: “What luck! I admit I feel a little lonely in my room… I’m going to have to decorate it to make it a little more welcoming.”  
Me: “You have a room to yourself?!”  
Melody: “Yeah, like I said, I’m Professor Zaidi’s assistant and I needed some room with my own desk. So they had no choice but to find me a room by myself…”  
Me: **“Priya, do you have a room on campus, too?”**  
Priya: “Yes! My parents decided to stay. I finally managed to stop making one move after another and enjoy my life as a student to the fullest.”  
Me: “So do you have a roommate, too?”  
Priya: “Yes… But she seems pretty shy. So I haven’t had time to talk to her much so far.”  
Me: “My dream… A shy roommate. Who lets you be…”  
Rosa: “You are dragging yourself down!”  
Chani: “Hahaha!”  
Alexy: “Maybe it’s a golden opportunity to get closer to her, Priya… Is she cute?”  
Priya: “Not really my type, actually…”  
At that point everyone started talking about sexy students. Which brought to mind…  
Me: “By the way, have you heard from Nath?”  
Melody: “We already talked about it; Nath has changed, end of story.”  
_Wow… There’s definitely a problem with him…_  
Chani: “Who is Nath?”  
Rosa: “An old high school friend… You’ll soon see, Tetrakys. We haven’t exactly stayed friends.”  
This is turning out to be intriguing. No one really seems to want to talk about it… It’s time to clear the air!  
Me: **“I’m paying this round!”**  
Chani: “Oh, thanks, that’s sweet”  
Priya: “No, I’m the one who’s buying the second round. So glad to see you all again!”  
Me: “Oh, thanks Priya.”  
Priya winked at me and got up to go to the bar.  
_I had forgotten how comfortable she was at communicating with everyone… A kind of charisma, whether you like her or not she’s still amazingly fascinating…_

[ ](https://ibb.co/gB15B9)

 We continued talking at the bar.  
There’s definitely a relaxed feeling in the air. The alcohol most likely played a role… It’s nice to be here, with them. I haven’t laughed so much since I moved away… I ended up forgetting, but I really missed them all so much.  
Rosa: “Are you OK Tetrakys?”  
Me: “Yes! Sorry… I was lost in my thoughts. Were you talking to me?”  
Rosa: “Alexy was saying that it’s getting late and we should all go home.”  
Priya: “Yep, Alexy has turned into a granny now. We forgot to mention that too.”  
Me: “A granny?”  
Alexy: “All that because just one night a week I decide to go to bed early?”  
Priya: “Well, yes, it’s surprising. You didn’t exactly get us used to that…”  
Me: “I’m with you, Alexy. Considering my arrival early this morning and this busy day, I’d really like to take a little rest…”  
Alexy: “Fortunately Tetrakys is the voice of wisdom.”  
Me: “When you put it that way, I don’t feel like playing that role so much.”  
Rosa: “In any case, we’ll have plenty of time to do this again since we’ve got a year ahead f us! I’m really glad you’re back.”  
Me: “And I’m really glad we are all back in touch.”  
Alexy: “Stop! Let’s go, if you make me cry I’ll make you regret it your whole life, I’m warning you.”  
Alexy got up without another word and headed towards the exit. I definitely noticed his eyes were watery, but I didn’t add a thing…

We left and stopped saying our goodbyes outside the bar.  
Alexy: “That was awesome, I wish it weren’t already over.”  
Rosa: “Are you kidding? You’re the one who wanted us all to go home!”  
Me: “How about we just meet up tomorrow?”  
Rosa: “Now that’s a good idea. After all, you can’t start a year without a nicely filled closet.”  
Me: “Well said.”  
Alexy: “Does that mean an afternoon of shopping?”  
Rosa: “That’s exactly what I had in mind.”  
Me: “So, we’ll meet up tomorrow?”  
Melody: “I would have loved to but… I already overdid it tonight, I have to seriously prepare the classes for tomorrow.  
Chani: “Hmm… Thanks but I already have a nice filled closet, maybe some other time.”  
Me: “Oh, bummer.”  
Priya: “Count me out, too. I already have other plans…”  
Rosa: “Too bad… It’ll just be the three of us! Like in the good ol’ days.”  
Me: “We’re going to have a good time.”  
Alexy: “With those final words, I’m headed home this way.”  
Me: “Oh, you’re not going to campus?”  
Alexy: “Not tonight!”  
He winked at me.  
Rosa: “And I’m going that way to my apartment.”  
Priya: “Perfect, that’s the way I’m going, too!”  
Me: “No one’s going to campus?”  
Priya: “No, I have another party to go to. Sorry.”  
Me: “OK, have a nice evening, I’m going home too… Except I’m going this way…”  
Chani: “I still have a few things to do, too… See you in class on Monday.”  
Melody: ”As for me, I have a bunch of work waiting for me… Have a nice evening.”  
Me: “Oh… OK, take care!”  
_I really would have liked for someone to walk back with me… But everyone’s headed in different directions. So here I go. I can walk home alone no problem. It wasn’t very far from here, it shouldn’t be hard…_

  
I left the busy street and headed toward campus.  
_This alley seemed much more welcoming to me during the daylight… I don’t like this at all…_  
Strange guy: “Hey sweetheart, you look frozen. Want us to walk you home?”  
Dishonest guy: “For sure, you shouldn’t walk home alone at night…”  
_Oh no… Things are looking bad. There’s absolutely no one in the street… Except those two guys who apparently haven’t just been drinking water._  
Me: “No, I’m good, thanks gentlemen, but I live nearby.”  
Strange guy: “’Thanks Gentlemen’! Why you’re welcome, young lady. All the more reason we shouldn’t let you walk home alone, we’re ‘gentlemen’ and we’ll walk you all the way to your door.”  
One of them walked around me and got behind me, while the other one kept blocking the street ahead…  
Dishonest guy: “You look under the weather all of a sudden. I’d hate for something to happen to you, where exactly do you liver…?”  
_But… Those are… Brass knuckles he’s holding… I have to get out of here and fast._  
Me: **“If either of you gets close to me I’ll scream. Let me by! RIGHT NOW!”**  
Dishonest guy: “No need to get all worked up! You’re the one that ran into us, we’re two nice guys who just want to make sure the young girls in the neighbourhood get home without any trouble…”  
Strange guy: “Still, it’s true not all the other girls are as cute as you…”  
Me:  **“I’m telling you for the last time, let me by.”**  
Dishonest guy: “What’s gonna happen if we don’t let you by?”  
Me: “You don’t want to find out.”  
Strange guy: “Just the opposite, now you’ve made me curious…”  
I tried to force my way by. He grabbed my wrist. In a rush from the adrenaline running through my veins, I hit him on his face as hard as I could.  
Me: “LEAVE ME ALONE!”  
Dishonest guy: “Oooh, this one is a real tigress!”  
Nath: “She told you let go.”  
A shadow approached us from the other side of the street.  
Strange guy: “Who are you?”  
Nath: “LET HER GO IMMEDIATELY!”  
Dishonest guy: “Sorry, man, I didn’t recognise you!”  
Strange guy: “It’s OK, we’re going.”  
_Geez, my heart’s going to explode… I’m shaking uncontrollably. I hope the third guy isn’t…_  
Nath: “Are you OK, are you hurt?”  
_I have to get home…_  
Nath: “Tetrakys can you hear me? You must be in shock…”  
Me: “No, it’s nothing… I’ll be fine…”  
_Wait…_  
Me: “You know my name?”  
Nath: “Tetrakys… It’s me!”  
Me: “Nath?! Nathaniel??”

[ ](https://ibb.co/mubGZU)

My heart skipped a beat; _I can’t believe my eyes… It can’t be him!_


	2. Episode 2 - First days of class

**Part 1 – After the attack**

Me: “Nath?” Nathaniel??!”

Nath: “Yep, it’s really me.”

_This can’t be possible… I barely recognise him._

Nath: “Are you OK? You look kind of in shock…”

Me: “N-No, I’m OK. Thanks. Y-you got here just in time, I guess…”

Nath: “Yeah, looked that way… I’m sorry those two jerks were hassling you.”

Me: “If it weren’t for you… It could have gone a lot further…”

Me: **“You’ve changed. I had a hard time recognising you…”**

Nath: “Anyway, you’ve changed, too!”

Me: “Yeah… Well… Not as much…”

Nath: “Seriously, you just got attacked, and all you do is play a guessing game of who’s changed the most? You know…”

Me: “What…?”

Nath: “I wasn’t going to let someone hurt you. I couldn’t have watched without doing something. I mean, the two of us aren’t strangers.”

_Running into Nathaniel like this… In this situation… I felt a knot growing in my stomach and a sob starting to get me chocked up. We haven’t talked to each other since everything ended between us. And all of a sudden, I’m standing in front of him… Vulnerable._

Me:  **“Thanks again, Nathaniel…”**

Nath: “Let’s talk about something else; everyone’s fine. Let’s change records.”

_That seems to make him uncomfortable…_

Nath: “Right, we’re not going to keep standing here.”

Me: “Right… Especially since it’s starting to get cold.”

Nath: “You’re walking back to campus, I assume?”

Me: “Yes, I am…”

Nath: “Do you want me to walk you home?”

Me: **“No, no… I’ll be fine, thanks, I should be able to manage alone.”**

Nath: “What a warrior! OK, so next time, run for your life. Or shout right away. It’d be a pity to get your nose busted right before your first day of class.”

Me: “Run for my life? Come on, I was ready to beat them up!”

Nath: “Yeah, yeah… Of course!”

Me: “Maybe you’d like a demonstration, Nathaniel?”

He laughed.

Nath: “Oooh, she said my whole first name. It’s time for me to run before trouble starts… Learn from experience next time. I repeat run.”

Me: “Are we going to run into each other again on campus?”

Nath: “That’s a possibility, yes… I don’t live too faraway. By the way, you didn’t even tell me why you came back to town…”

Me: “I’m taking a special program in art history and this was the only town that fit, out of the limited choices I had…”

Nath: “In art history? Not bad, maybe I should’ve picked that, instead of literature.”

Me: “Haha, I’m sure you’re doing just fine.”

Nath: “Apparently some cute girls are doing that program; maybe there’re still some empty spots!”

_Is he talking about me? Nathaniel never used to talk like that…_

Nath: “I’m going to find out about changing in mid-year. I wouldn’t be so bored. Take care.”

He took off right away, without even looking back.

_Well, he isn’t chocking on empathy… That’s the least you can say._

There I was, alone again, in the same alley… A chill ran down my spine. I folded my arms across my chest and ran to the end of the street.

I finally reached the main campus.

_I’m shaking like a leaf. As soon as night falls, it gets bitter cold in this town… All the students have deserted the campus. Maybe because it’s just now back-to-school time… In any case I’m alone._

I hurried.

 

 

_The dorm… I’m finally in front of my room. I wonder what time it is… Thank goodness, tomorrow’s Saturday, I wouldn’t feel up to tackling my first day of class in this shape._

I move my hand towards the doorknob and suddenly I get a flashback.

_The paint! Yeleen! Oh my gosh I haven’t run into her since all that mess; I haven’t had a chance to explain. She must be waiting for me on the other side of the door. I’m going to get skinned alive. I can’t go back outside after what just happened… And besides, where would I sleep anyway? I have no choice._

I stepped into the room.

_The light’s off… You can’t see anything at all in here. I can’t tell if she’s here or not… I’m going to walk quietly to my bed; you never know._

I made it to my bed, then I managed to slide in between the sheets without a noise _._

_Sheets…? But… but I had taken them off my bed to put them on hers… I bet she made my bed with the ones that were splattered with paint! Geez, what a sneaky pest! Still I meant well. I lit the sheets up with my phone to make sure there wasn’t paint all over the place. But… these aren’t the ones that were on the bed either. Yeleen must have made my bed with her sheets… That’s incredibly sweet… Could I have misjudged her? I definitely would have liked to get up to talk about it… But I hear her steady breathing, she must be asleep… It’ll have to wait until tomorrow._

As I close my eyes, images of the evening resurface right away.

_The voices of those two guys are still ringing in my head… I grab my wrist under the sheets. That’s where he put his hand to keep my from getting away. I’m overcome with panic all of a sudden. And what if Nathaniel hadn’t shown up, and what if they had managed to hold me back… No, I refuse to dwell on that over and over again. I forced myself to think about Rosa and Alexy who I was so happy to meet up tonight._

I wished with all my heart and soul to fall into a deep sleep as fast as possible.

_Tomorrow’s another day._

 

**Part 2 – Trial run at the café**

_It looks like Yeleen is already gone. She must have left the room early this morning. I didn’t even hear her… I slept like a log – a brass band couldn’t have woken me up. I have some free time. Alexy and Rosa want us to get together later this afternoon. We’re supposed to go on a shopping spree to ensure a wardrobe worthy of the name for back-to-school. I could take the opportunity to drop by the café and see if the manager’s there. I have to put the odds in my favour. The sooner she sees me, the sooner I’ll get hired! Plus, it would be convenient to have a little extra money for going out… Knowing Rosalya, I’d better stay on my toes as far as that goes. Besides, I admit the waiter yesterday was pretty… nice. We got along well. With a little luck, he’ll be there again this time, and maybe he’ll back up my application! Feeling motivated. I’m going to succeed!_

I got dressed and left the campus. In front of the café, my confidence started melting like snow in the sun.

_It’s the first time I’ve done anything like this. Why would they hire a student with no experience? I’m sure three-fourth of the students have already done this kind of job. As for me… Phew, breathe Tetrakys, breathe. Get a grip, you can do it!_

Hyun: “Hi. Already back? That’s what I call motivated!”

Me: “Haaa!”

He scared me, I’m too stressed out, I have to relax. Now that I think of it, I’ve never had an interview… Never at all, even…

Hyun: “I didn’t mean to scare you… You OK? You look a little tense.”

Me: ”Hi Hyun, sorry… Is the café manager around?”

Hyun: “It’s good you’re already back. It just so happens she looked at the applications this morning. Sorry to insist but… are you sure you’re OK?”

Me: “Uh well… A little nervous.”

Hyun: “Don’t worry. There’s no reason for it to go badly. Personally, I didn’t even have to have an interview, she trusted me right away! I’m sure the same will be true for you.”

Me: " **I’m confident. I’m going to do fine.** "

 

Hyun: “A positive mindset! That’s impressive. You’ll do just fine. She’s inside, follow me.”

Hyun: “Ma’am, this is Tetrakys, the person who applied whole you were away.”

Me: “Hello, nice to meet you.”

Clemence: “Ah, right. So, what do you know how to do?”

Me: “You mean… in a café?”

Clemence: “No, in a plane.”

Me: “Uh…”

Clemence: “Well now sweetheart, we’re not out of the woods! Of course in a café, where do you think we are?”

_Tetrakys, pull yourself together!_

Me: " **I already know how it works. I’m sure I’ll get used to your rules really fast**."

Clemence: “Of really? Well, we’ll soon find out. Put this apron and cap!”

Me: “Wh… what?”

She gave me an apron and a cap with the café logo on it.

_I wasn’t expecting this, I thought she was just going to ask me a few questions. Plus, Alexy and Rosa are going to be waiting for me if I take too long… I hadn’t planned on working as of today at all…_

Me: **“Su… sure.” ( _Too bad for Rosalya and Alexy!_ )**

Clemence: “Really? You don’t look very sure of yourself. It’s not too late for you to run off, young lady.”

Me: “No, no really, I’m anxious to prove how much I want this job!”

Clemence: “Fine, let’s get down to it.”

Hyun: “You’ll see, there’s nothing complicated; you just have to take the orders of the next costumers who sit down outside.”

Clemence: “There, what Hyun just said.”

Me: “Ok… I-I should be able to manage it.”

Clemence: “Step on it, it’s Saturday. We don’t mess around Saturday! Hup, hup, hup!”

_I glanced worriedly at Hyun on my way out._

Hyun and I stepped outside.

Hyun: “Don’t worry, I’ll never be far. All you have to do for the time being is greet people and take their orders.”

Me: “Fine… And once I have the orders?”

Hyun: “Well, you come inside and bring them to me, to me or the manager.”

Me: “I think I can handle that.”

Hyun: “Great. I don’t need to wish you good luck; I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.”

Me: “Thanks, Hyun!”

_So… now’s the time to give it all I’ve got! I need to put on my server uniform…_

I wore the brown café uniform with the bear logo on the front.

_Now, that’s better… I hope I don’t look too ridiculous with it on. It’s wild, I get the feeling I’m more nervous about this interview than the first day of university._

Priya :”Hi! Oh, isn’t your apron cute!”

Me: “Priya! What’re you doing here?”

Priya :”Well, now, let’s see, today’s Saturday, the weather’s nice, the café is far enough from campus for e to stop thinking about everything in store for me this year… And I really feel like a little drink to start the weekend off right.”

Me: “I see…”

Priya :”And besides that, the waitress seems nice.”

Me: “Nice? More like stressed out… I’m in the middle of being tested to try and get the waitressing job.”

Priya :”Perfect! It looks like I picked the right time to show up then.”

Clemence: “So what’s going on here? Why’s the costume still standing?”

Priya :”Hello, your waitress was just offering me the seat with the most shade.”

She turned to face me with a glowing smile.

Priya :”That’s really nice of you, I’ll seat here.”

Priya’s playing along, maybe I have a chance of making a better impression…

Me: ” Please, it’s only normal. What would you like to drink?”

Priya :”Well, I’ll have a plain lemonade with a straw, and no ice.”

Me: “I’ll bring you that right away.”

Priya :”Thanks!”

_It looks like I’m handling things pretty well for the time being… I’ll have to remember to thank Priya._

Two other familiar faces arrived at the café, Melody and the admin officer.

_Is this some kind of joke? It looks like everyone passed the word around this morning…_

**(Greet the admin officer.)**

Me: “Morning, Sir! What can I get for you?”

Admin officer: “An espresso, no sugar, with a drop of milk.”

_Just as nice as always._

Admin officer: “Is it going to take you long? I have an appointment.”

Me: “I’ll get you that right away, Sir.”

Melody: “Hi Tetrakys.”

Me: “Hi Melody, take a seat, please.”

Melody: “Right, I have to finish all my reports before we go back to school on Monday. Mr. Zaidi will be thrilled to see they are ready…”

Me: “Uh yeah, I’m sure. Do you want me to get you anything?”

Melody: “I’ll have a Peach Soy milkshake.”

Me: “OK.”

Melody: “No, wait, a Lemon Banana.”

Me: “I don’t know if we have all that on the menu…”

Clemence: “Hmm Hmm..:”

Me: “But I’ll find out right away!”

Melody: “No worries. Thanks!”

_Maybe I should’ve taken a notepad to write down the orders…_

I went back into the café to bring the orders to Hyun.

Hyun: “Looks like you’re doing just fine.”

Me: “Really?”

Hyun: “Sure, I’m not the least bit worried for you. Tell me the orders, I’ll get them ready.”

Me: “ **A peach and soy milkshake, an espresso, no sugar, with a drop of milk and a lemonade.** ”

Hyun: “You remember all that without taking notes?!”

I noticed Clemence looking at us following our conversation.

Me: “Yep!”

Hyun: “Impressive for a first day.”

Me: “Thanks… I’m trying to do my best.”

_Clemence went outside. Most likely to watch me when I carry the drinks out to the tables._

Hyun: “Now, all you have to do is take the drinks outside to the costumers.”

Me: “R-right…”

Hyun: “Everything still OK?”

Me: **“It’s just intimidating to feel yourself being watched that way…”**

Hyun: “Don’t worry, she’s just trying to make you nervous. Your lack of confidence is kind of cute…”

_‘Cute?’_

He winked at me and headed outside. I grabbed the tray with the drink Hyun had prepared.

_It’s much heavier than I thought…_

_I’m going to serve the drinks in the order of the tables, starting with the ones closest to me._

Me: “Here, Melody, a peach and soy milkshake for you!”

Melody: “Oh… so I guess there weren’t any banana lemon milkshakes.”

_Darn, I forgot to ask! She’s making a fuss over nothing, she could’ve just said thanks, she’s going to make me fail my trial run!_

I glanced over at Clémence who was pretending not to listen, watching the street, her hands behind her back.

_I know for a fact that my every move is being scrutinised…_

Melody: “No big deal, I’ll take it anyway. In any case, I can’t wait any longer. I have too much work to catch up on for Mr. Za…”

Me: “Mr. Zaidi, right!”

Melody: “Uh… you look kind of nervous. Take advantage of the weekend to rest before Monday. I doubt the year will be restful!”

She took the milkshake off the tray and left right away.

_I realise I’m starting to think about my every move! It’s getting nerve-racking._

Clemence: “Hmm…”

_Clemence is keeping an eye on things, I’d better not just stand there!_

I walk towards Priya.

Me: “And here you go, Priya, an ice-cold lemonade!”

Priya: “Thanks… Miss.”

She replied with a surprised look on her face.

_Sure… we were pretending not to know each other. What a moron I am!_

Priya: “That’s very kind of you.”

Clemence: “Hmm, excuse me, it seems to me you ordered a lemonade, no ice, didn’t you?”

_As I notice the ice cubes chinking in the glass, my breathing started to slow down. My trial run is a catastrophe, I’ll never get the job._

Me: **“I thought I heard ‘with ice’, quite the opposite.”**

 _I’d be better off trying to act self-confident. My trial run seem a little less catastrophic that way_.

Priya: “Yes, exactly, that’s what it was, with ice! You have quite a memory.”

Priya winked at me.

Me: “After all, that’s my job, it’s only normal.”

Clemence: “Well, sure… I’m the one who must be mistaken…”

Priya: “Oh, don’t worry. I guess, given the great reputation of your lemonade around town, it would’ve been just as good without.”

_Flattery always works. Way to go, Priya!_

Priya: “You also have the nicest outside seating, so even though I live fairly faraway, I still come here to sit. No matter if it’s crowded, rainy or windy.”

_Priya don’t overdo it, please._

Clemence: “Well… I admit it’s not the first time I’ve been told that, far be it from me to criticise the other cafés, but really… I always try to be up to my customers’ expectations.”

_It’s working or am I dreaming?_

Priya winked at me discreetly behind Clemence’s back.

 _She has managed to make up for all my screw-ups! I owe her a big favour_.

Priya gave Clemence a glowing smile. And she hurried to take cover inside the café, a big smile on her lips.

Priya: “You could say you’re making it hard!”

Me: “Thanks Priya, I don’t know what I’d do without you!”

Priya: “I’m not sure you would have gotten the job! Fortunately I’m supposed to have the ‘gift of gab’ for my future as a lawyer. Without it, I wouldn’t have done you much good!”

Me: **“I’m pretty sure you were already like that in high school.”**

Priya: “Oh really? Do you think I was as articulate?”

Me: “Articulate, I’m not sure, but I’d say you have always known how to captivate your audience.”

Priya: “I see… Thanks.”

She nodded and gave me a smile. Then I realised there was still a costumer waiting for his order. The coffee was getting cold on my tray… I rushed towards the admin officer. It was time to act while Clemence wasn’t there to watch me worsen my case. So I headed towards the admin officer’s table, and in doing so, I didn’t pay attention to the tables in my way. I felt the tip of my shoe knock against one of the steel table legs. The tray started wobbling in my hands. Oh no! I was going to spill everything on the admin officer, lose my job before even having had the chance to get it and look ridiculous in front of all the customers at the café. A practically inhuman scream came out of my throat in an attempt to give warning of my fall. That’s when I felt a firm hand grab my hip.

Me: “Whoaoooh!”

Hyun: “I’ve got you!”

Hyun had caught me with one hand. He was holding the tray perfectly stable with the other.

 

Hyun: “Are you OK?”

Me: “Y-yes, I think so.”

Hyun: “These tables are too close together, it’s my fault, I’m sorry. I must have placed them badly this morning…”

Me: “N-No, don’t worry.”

Admin officer: “What in…, I’m not in your way, I hope?”

Hyun: “Please forgive us, Sir!”

He helped me stand back up and put the coffee on the admin officers table.

Hyun: “There you go, sir, do you need anything else?”

Admin officer: “No, no, that’ll do.”

But right away, the advisor started mumbling.

Admin officer: “I’m fed up with all these students, smooching on every street corner…”

Hyun: “Hmm, I-I… You… Actually, I was coming to tell you that Clemence would like to see you inside, to give you her verdict. But it looks like I got here just in time.”

Me: “Yes, thanks Hyun! I’m going to give back the uniform and make a quick getaway before causing another mess…”

Hyun: “Not so fast: Clemence didn’t see you trip. And I’m sure you did fine on the rest of the test!”

Me: “Right… I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you…”

_I like the way he’s always positive and sweet…_

Me: “Thanks again Hyun… I’m on y way.”

I went back into the café.

What should I do, should I give her back the uniform? And take off at a run straightaway? No. No Tetrakys, take responsibility for your clumsiness and behave like an adult!

Clemence: “So.”

Not the slightest trace of friendliness in her attitude. This is off to a bad start…

Clemence: “I don’t want any inappropriate outfits in my café, o fake excuses for being late, I will not tolerate any mistakes in orders, I don’t want any flirting between my servers and my customers and ESPECIALLY NOT between servers, period. No chatting between breaks, no cell phones on the job, no drinking parties when you’re the one closing the café and I don’t want to hear you breathing too loud. Got it?”

Me: “Are you saying… that I just… got the job?”

Clemence: “I don’t like saying it that way. Let’s say that you barely passed the test, it was an extremely close call. And I don’t have any other applicants.”

_Whooppee!_

Clemence: “But I will not allow you to cut rest on your laurels!”

Me: “No, of course not, ma’am, no way! Thanks, thanks!”

Clemence: “So Hyun will be in charge of telling you the shifts we need you for. We’ll deal with the paperwork before your first shift. And be aware that there’s still work to do, you are very far from reaching the level of perfection Hyun displays on a daily basis.”

_Perfection, for real?_

Clemence: “I have to make the coffee for tonight’s rush. Forward march. I don’t want to see you hanging out here, newbie.”

_‘Newbie?’_

Me: “Well, thanks ma’am. Goodbye.”

Clemence: “That’s it, right.”

I picked up my bag and stuff I had left behind at the bar. I couldn’t keep a silly smile off my face.

_Finally something has happened ‘almost’ the way I wanted since I got here!_

I went back outside.

Hyun: “Well, so?”

Me: “Here before you stands your new co-worker!”

Hyun: “Yes! I knew you could do it!”

Now that I think about it, Hyun may have played a role in Clemence decision… If that’s the case, I owe him a lot.

Hyun: “You see, I never doubted you.”

Me: **“You didn’t happen to push Clemence into making that decision by any chance, did you?”**

 

Hyun: “N-no, not at all.”

_Hyun lies so badly… He’s beet red._

Hyun: “Anyhow, she didn’t have any other applicants…”

Me: “What do you mean?”

Hyun: “There were many… But some… Didn’t get any farther than the trashcan at the entrance.”

Me: “…!”

Me: “Are you the one who threw them all out?”

Hyun: “Yes…”

Hyun: “All except for yours, I admit… But there were only three others!”

Me: **“Did you do that… for me?”**

 

Hyun: “Will you be mad at me if I tell you what I did was kind of… selfish?”

Me: “Meaning?”

Hyun: “Between the blonde dude who didn’t know the difference between a chocolate and a coffee, the granny who just wanted to work so she wasn’t bored all day and the weird girl crazy about snakes who had one with her the day she came to apply… For sure, I admit it was nice to have someone my age who at first sight seemed ‘normal’.”

Me: “From that angle… So… I’m not mad at you. I’d even say that I would have done the same if I had been in your shoes…!”

Hyun: “That’s reassuring.”

He smiled relieved.

Hyun: “So I’ll tell you fast, as soon as I know which days you have shifts I’m going to jot down some information so I can get your contract ready.”

Hyun wrote my phone number down and asked me a few questions. Meanwhile I was watching the seats outside, looking for Priya. But it seemed like she had left.

Hyun: “So, see you soon.”

Me: “By the way, did you happen to see my friend who was sitting outside earlier? I served her a lemonade during my trial run.”

Hyun: “Oh yes, she left walking towards the high school, I think.”

Me: “Thanks. I’m going to try to catch up with her. Have a nice day!”

_I really have to go thank her for her precious help._

I walked toward the school.

 

 

_Sweet Amoris, I hadn’t had the time to go to the school grounds since I got back… All my teen years are still cloistered away behind those walls. Things have definitely changed since then. Being here makes me nostalgic. I hope Priya hasn’t gone too far, I would’ve liked to thank her._

Priya: “Tell me we didn’t do all that for nothing!”

Me: “Thank you soooo much Priya!”

Priya: “So you got the job? You did it?”

She asked with a big smile on her face.

Me: “Does it seem as unlikely as that? Yes! And without you, it was a lost cause.”

Priya: “You can say that again: you were a lost cause.”

Me: “Don’t exaggerate! I still managed to bring out all the drinks.”

Priya: “Yeah, well, fortunately your charming co-worker was around at the time.”

Me:  **“Do I hear a touch of jealousy?”**

Priya: “Me? Jealous? It’d take much more than that.”

Still you’d think that I hit a sensitive spot.

Priya: “At the same time, if I had had time to get up, you would’ve fallen into my arms…”

Me: “Wh…”

Priya: “But I couldn’t stay around and make up for all your mistakes. I mean, I didn’t have all day.”

Me:  **“I would’ve really liked for you to try though…”**

Priya: “W-well… I’ll make a note of that for the next time. Congratulations in any case!”

Me: “Thanks.”

Priya: “We make a dream team, you and me. We should organise that kind of thing more often.”

Priya gave me five, thrilled that our little role play had worked at the café.

 

Me: “The start of the year has some bright sides to it after all.”

Priya: “Of course, it does, and mark my words, this is just the beginning.”

Me: “And, besides that, I have the weekend free to rest. I don’t know what I’m going to do with my afternoon, but I’d really like to take a nap to recover from all the emotion.”

Priya: “Oh really? I would’ve thought you were meeting up with Rosa and Alexy, since…”

Me: “ROSA! I had totally forgotten with all that!”

Priya: “Yeah, considering the messages I got… I think she planned to never again invite you to an afternoon of ‘buy a whole new wardrobe’.”

Me: “I’m going to be in trouble.”

Priya: “And she also said you owed her a half-hour of shopping. Since she hung around in the street waiting for you in vain for that amount of time. I get the impression that the girl is as inconsistent as ever…”

Me: “I had my cellphone in my bag during the whole trial run; I didn’t even have time to tell her. Clemence put me straight to work.”

Priya: “Don’t worry, I’m convinced she’ll forget it in no time.”

I pulled out my cellphone right away. Sure thing, I had several missed calls and a dozen messages. She had sent me pictures of dresses in stores with little comments “Yet another dress you won’t try on, and not this one either, same goes here. You don’t deserve any of these dresses, Tetrakys, they know you shamefully abandoned them!” Even though her messages were jokes more than real accusations, I had still stood up my old best friend on our very first outing.

_I have to call her right away._

Priya: “So far the day has been full of twists and turns and I was happy to share them with you. But now, I have to get back to real life.”

Me: “Oh, OK.”

Priya: “Good luck convincing Rosalya that you had something better to do than shopping, I know how hard it is.”

Me: “Haha, thanks Priya.”

Priya went away and left me alone in front of the high school. I took the opportunity to call Rosalya. No answer… Fine, I’ll explain as soon as I get her on the phone, she’ll understand. I’ll just go back to my ro… A message from Rosa! She says: “can’t answer, I’m gobbling down a donut. And what are you up to? You deserter.” I sent her an answer right away. “I’m in front our old high school. I’m sorry to have missed our shopping spree. Can we meet up?” My phone vibrated immediately. “Meet me in front of the campus buildings. I’m nearby. See you. Deserter.”

_Might as well go apologise in person._

I rushed toward campus.

Rosa: “Well look who’s here!”

Me: “Rosa, I’m sorry! I didn’t want to stand you up. I would’ve rather been with you on a shopping spree, believe me.”

Rosa: “And what’s your excuse for such an absence?”

Me: “I had an interview for the job at the café.”

Rosa: “Yeah, Priya told me you were playing waitressing. But you could’ve told me!”

Me: “I didn’t have time. I was just supposed to drop by to see if my application had gotten any attention and… the manager had me to do a trial run right on the bat. Believe me, she’s not the kind of person who you say no to for anything whatsoever. I would never have gotten the job if I hadn’t done it.”

Rosa: “So… You got it?”

Me: “Yes, I got it. I’m really sorry you had to wai…”

Rosa: “Which means you’ll have some extra cash?”

Me: “Uh… Yes looks that way.”

_Unless she’s planned to make me her slave…_

Rosa: “Which means no more excuses for not going shopping?”

Me: “Seen like that, you might sa…”

Rosa: “And eating out, clubbing and spending days at the beach?”

Me: “Yeah, I mean, I don’t think I’ll be earning thousands and thous…”

Rosa: “Yesssss! You are forgiven, everything’s fine!”

Me: “Hahaha!”

_Rosa hasn’t changed._

Rosa: “Congratulations in any case.”

Me: “Thanks Rosa. I’m glad, too. One less thing to worry about this year.”

Rosa: “I would’ve suggested going to shop now, but I made plans to meet up with Leigh. But you and I are sure to see each other this week on campus!”

Me: “Great.”

Rosa took off right away and I went on my way, too.

The morning was really stressful… I have no energy left. I’d love to lie down on my bed a little while…

 

I went back to the dorms.

Yeleen may be back in the room. We didn’t see each other this morning; we haven’t rehashed what happened… I’m afraid of being subjected to another scene… I won’t be able to stand it. I can’t get some peace and quiet… Even in my own room.

I entered my room.

_She’s listening to the radio… It’s the end of a song. She didn’t even look my way when I walked into the room. We’ve moved on to the phase of totally ignoring each other; it’s not all that bad._

She took out her headphones. She must think the radio is bothering me.

**(Let her put her headphones on.)**

She plugged in her headphones and the screeching of the guitars stopped on the spot. I lay down on my bed to rest a while. I feel like I need at least ten hours of sleep. Thank goodness there’s still Sunday before classes start… After a while Yeleen turned the radio off. She went out without saying a word. Things are still cold between us… I guess we’re off for a whole year lie this. Might as well get used to it. I’m going to enjoy peacefully the last weekend before school starts.

I spent Sunday getting my stud organised and getting ready for classes. I really want this year to go smoothly. I had a hard time falling asleep on Sunday night. I guess no matter what year it is, the stress of the first day is unavoidable. I finally fell asleep around 3 in the morning…

 

**Part 3 – First day of class**

_It’s D-day, go to Mr. Zaidi’s class. I’s my first class of the day. Yeleen is already gone! I don’t even know if she actually came back last night… I don’t have a minute to lose! All set, here I go!_

I run to the art building.

_It must be in one of the auditoriums… It’s not bad having the dorms nearby, in any case. Not much chance of me being late._

Chani: “Hi. Are you going to Mr. Zaidi’s class?”

Me: “Hi Chani, yeah, that’s right! And for that matter, I’m glad this class is the one I’m starting with.”

Chani: “Same for me, it’s one of the ones that I’m most interested in.”

Me: “True, the teacher is…”

Chani: “Charismatic? More like nice to look at? He looks like he loves his subject? Tell me about it…”

Me: “Hahaha, it at least it’s clear, I see he caught your eye!”

Chani: “I confess! Are you coming? I want a seat close to the front row, so I don’t miss any of the lecture…”

Me: “Yeah, right, the lecture…! Sure. Let’s go.”

We entered into Auditorium 2.

_Everyone’s already seated. Mr, Zaidi is sorting through papers on his desk; he doesn’t look up as the class and the students are getting settled. This is nothing like the wound-up commotion that usually goes with a first day. Everyone seems to be eyeing the teacher in silence._

Chani: “Want to sit here?”

I was about to sit down when I noticed Melody waving at me a few desks away.

She’s inviting me to sit next to her.

**Sit next to Chani.**

Me: “Yes, here is perfect.”

I shrugged my shoulders towards Melody with an apologetic look and sat down, taking my laptop out of my bag.

Chani: “Plus we’re close to the exit if ever the class were to go badly.”

Me: “Go badly? Why would you expect…”

Me: “Haven’t you seen Scream. Final destination or the Blair Witch Project?”

Me: “As far as I remember none of those movies takes place on a campus.”

Chani: “Yeah, but they’re all students!”

Me: **“You have an extraordinary sense of humour.”**

Chani: “I know! It’s one of my personality traits I’m proud of.”

Me: “Whatever you do, don’t change a thing.”

Chani: “It scares the gullible people away, like that, I know who I can count on.”

I grinned at her. She is wacky but… I sense that she doesn’t have an ounce of meanness in her.

Rayan: “’Art is a lie in the world of rationality’.”

The whispering that had been going on and on around the auditorium died out right away.

Rayan: “’Art is not a lie.’”

I scanned the room, everyone seemed to be hanging on his every word. Except Melody who was already banging wildly on her keyboard…

Should I do likewise? Is that part of the course?

Rayan: “’Art is the most beautiful of all lies.2 or how about ‘We have art in order not to die of the truth.’ All these statements are quotes by famous artists. Which one is right?”

It was as if time had frozen. Not a single student seemed to want to answer, waiting for him to continue his monologue.

Rayan: “Everyone who has a laptop open in front of them or a pencil in their hand, please put it away.”

I immediately glanced at Melody who blushed as she rushed to put her laptop away.  Everyone seemed a little surprised, but no one argued.

Rayan: “So. Which quote seems relevant to you? I’ll give you a clue: there are no wrong answers.”

I do have an idea about the answer, but I don’t really want to be the only one to raise my hand in front of the whole auditorium…

Rayan: “Let’s see…”

His gaze lingered over me. I felt the redness climb to my cheeks.

Rayan: “…Melody? Got an opinion on the topic?”

Melody: “To be honest, I studied the material before coming today.”

Studied the material? How can she study the material from the first class of the year before even attending class?

Melody: “Art can’t lie.”

She said that as if it were an obvious fact. Mr. Zaidi looked at her a second without saying a word, then another hand went up at the front of the room.

Rayan: “Yes?”

On the first row, a female student I hadn’t seen asked to speak.

Yeleen: “If you want to lie you can lie, though a work of art or otherwise. That’s the principle of free will.”

Yeleen is part of my class too?! Seriously, I’m the luckiest girl of the year.

Rayan: “Tetrakys an opinion?”

His voice brought me back to Earth right then and there. That is definitely my name he just pronounced. He remembers our conversation during registration… Melody was staring at me. Yeleen turned around to look at me, too. The heat in my cheeks gets more intense. I must be bright red.

Me: **“Uhm… All the quotes you said are true”**  

Rayan: “Hmmm… How can they all be true though they contradict each other?”

Me: “Well, I guess that comes from the artist. If an artist chooses to lie through his works, or if he expresses truths that are his own…”

I made eye contact with Yeleen, she was raising an eyebrow, looking me over from had to toe.

Rayan: “Are you trying to say art is subjective?”

Me: **“That’s exactly it.”**  

 

Rayan: “VOILA’!!”

The whole class jumped.

Rayan: “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Melody looked away from me, her jaw clenched… That doesn’t seem to have pleased her. He turned around, his back to the class, and wrote on the board in red chalk.

Rayan: “Art is subjective. That is an absolute truth. And it’s the only one I’ll accept in my class. The only one.”

The sound of paper rustling ring out through the auditorium, everyone rushed to grab something to start taking notes.

Rayan: “Stop!”

 _The students froze again. He’s good at making himself heard_.

Rayan: “No pencils, no laptops, no paper.”

Chani is the only one who didn’t make a move to get her tings. I slipped my laptop back into my bag again.

Rayan: “Listen to me: We’re going to study the artwork, for sure. I don’t care if you remember the dates, th artists’ names, the art galleries where they are on exhibit. I want to know how you analyse them. I want to know… What you feel looking at them.”

Melody raised her hand right away.

Rayan: “I haven’t finished.”

I had never seen Melody change colours so fast, she turned beet red on her seat and lowered her hand as if it had been burnt.

Rayan: “In this class, I want you to debate. To talk about what you feel through the works. What the author may have tried to tell us, but above all what you understood.”

Melody looked down at her desk.

Rayan: “Melody, I know you were going to ask me how that was going to work for exams, since you will most likely be asked dates, names and other things of no interest as far as I’m concerned.”

She looked up at him with a grin… And Mr. Zaidi’s voice got softer.

Rayan: “You can jot that information down on a post-it if you feel like it. Personally, I want to teach you how to construct a point of view, express your emotions and accept other people’s. Art is lived. It isn’t learned by heart like math theorems.”

You could hear a pin drop in the room.

Rayan: “That’s what I wanted to start my first class with. Art is subjective. Yes, that’s the foundation, you’ve surely been told that a thousand times, but it was a good idea for me to remind you. And so, you can make that truth your own. No one will have the same points of view, and that’s what I like about art. I’m going to teach you to like that too. I’m going to teach you… To take pleasure.”

A few giggles in the back of the auditorium were heard. A group of guys chuckling, thinking they were discreet. Personally, what Mr. Zaidi said command my admiration. He seems really passionate by what he says. I definitely don’t regret choosing this major.

Rayan: “You can laugh gentlemen.”

I glanced inconspicuously over my shoulder. They all instantly sat up stiff on their seats.

Rayan: “It’s about that too, prompting reactions. That’s what I want.”

This time, his gaze really and truly landed on me. And it lingered. A knot formed in my stomach immediately. _I don’t know how to interpret it… he intimidates me more than anything else._ I must have made a funny face because Chani was looking at me questioningly when I raised my head back up. Mr. Zaidi continued his course, delving a little deeper into the heart of the subject. He showed us a slideshow of all kinds of works of art, from different periods and different movements. Every time, he chose a student at random to get his or her impression on the work at issue. He just listened to our points of view, he didn’t make comments, didn’t correct us, but he took notes. He didn’t wait for the bell to ring and announced that class was over after the last slide.

Rayan: “And with that, class is over. Thank you for playing along. I expect you to loosen up even more during the next classes. Say what’s on your mind. Think about it for next time.”

Melody: “Sir? May I remind you, you didn’t give us the curriculum for the year. For those of us who want to work ahead.”

Rayan: “Oh Melody, what would I do without you?”

He said with a smile.

A big smile broke out on Melody’s face. She clearly has a hard time holding in the joy that sentence made her feel. The way she behaves around Mr. Zaidi is starting to annoy me.

Melody: “I brought everything.”

She walked across the room to give him a pile of papers.

Rayan: “So, what do you want to study?”

He looked up at the class.

Rayan: “Tetrakys, what do you want to study?”

Me: “Me?.. Um, well, I don’t know.. Wh-whatever you planned in your curriculum.”

_He caught me off guard right then. He has a habit of wanting to put me in the spotlight by asking me completely unexpected questions._

Rayan: “I don’t know either, use your imagination! A series you like these days? A particular work of art? An emotion you’ve never felt upon contemplating a creation?”

_Gosh, what kind of questions are those, does he want me to teach the class for him too?_

Me: **“Right now I like watching… Game of Thrones.”**

I heard myself say those words… and I regretted them right afterwards.

Yeleen: “We’re in modern art class, we’re not asking you to tell your life story.”

She said that rolling her eyes and I felt like a moron. The students between Yeleen and me started laughing.

Rayan: “That’s on the curriculum. After all, what could be more modern?”

His answer gave rise to reactions of surprise and joy throughout the auditorium.

Rayan: “For sure. A series that brings together so many people… That kind of thing has such an impact on our society these days. What could be more modern than the art on the small screen?”

 _I’m definitely going to like this year_.

Rayan: “I want to know why you like it so much. And given your reactions, I made the right choice. I want you to want to discover new things, or analyse works of art that are right there before your very eyes without you even realising it. If you’ve come to do the same courses from previous years, you’ve come to the wrong class.”

_At least that’s clear. His classes will be different from what we’ve been used up until now…_

Rayan: “For the next class, I’ll want your undivided attention. No laptops, binders or loose leaf notebooks. I will only accept one post-it and a pencil if you think you really need it.”

 _That way he has of changing the tone of his voice… Soft and welcoming and the second afterwards, authoritative and academic. At least it gets your attention_.

Rayan: “So, for this time, I want you out of my sight! Get out of my class and as you go, pick a curriculum up off my desk. Have a good school year.”

I stood up and got in line. I went to the desk to pick up a curriculum.

Rayan: “Can I see you for a second?”

Me: “Me?”

Rayan: “Yes you, Tetrakys.”

I stepped out of the line that was pushing behind me to stand in front of the teacher as the other students exited the auditorium one by one.

Rayan: “Take confidence in yourself.”

Me: “W-what?”

Rayan: “Your answers are right. One of my aims is to help my students develop their points of view, and you answers are relevant.”

I stayed speechless in the face of his intense gaze. I wasn’t expecting that.

Rayan: “I called on you often during the class. To tell the truth, you are part of the group of rare students whose names I remember. Please don’t go tell the others. But I have over a hundred students that I need to remember and yours is the only one that really stuck in my mind.”

Only mine…?

Me: **“And Melody’s…” ( _Yeleen, too._ )**

Rayan: “Right. She’s my ‘assistant’, I had to work with her as soon as I started working here. Not surprising, all the teachers do it, I assume you know that…?”

Me: “Y-yes of course, it’s obvious.”

_What has gotten into me, it’s as if I was asking him to justify himself all of a sudden…_

We looked at each other a few seconds without saying a word.

There’s something unsettling in his eyes…

He eventually thanked me and I left to go to the dining hall.

 

Outside the classroom.

Chani: “Are you OK? I was wondering what was going on.”

Me:  **“He wanted to ‘apologise’ for having only questioned me out of the whole class.”**

Chani: “A teacher apologising for having questioned a student? This guy was put together backwards. I like that!”

Me: “Oh really?”

Chani: “Fore once, we don’t have some lame teacher that just wants to talk about his past as a failed artist… I like that, yes. And you seem to like him, too, for that matter.”

Me: “ **No… I mean, not like the way you’re implying.** ” 

Chani: “Oh really? You must be the only one for miles around.”

Me: “So I take it you aren’t insensitive to his charm, then?”

Chani: “Are you kidding? I’d even wear pink if he asked me to.”

Me: “Hahaha, I’d like to see that! I’m going to the dining hall, I’m starving.”

Chani: “I’m not all that hungry for lunch. See you later.”

Me: “Sure, have a nice day!”

Chani left and I went to the dining hall.

 

_This is awesome! To think that at my old university we had the choice between two bean dishes and a cucumber salad. This is a real feast._

I helped myself to everything that tempted me.

_I don’t think I’ll finish everything on my tray… But it all looks so delicious!_

I scanned the dining hall in search of a place to sit.

_The place is packed. I wish Chani had come with me… No one likes eating alone when school’s just starting… There’s a group of people who are in my modern art class, over there… I saw them this morning in the auditorium… But I don’t know them._

Rosa: “Seriously, you aren’t really going to sit alone?!”

Me: “Rosa!”

Rosa: “Come on, Alexy and I are sitting in the back. I saw you looking lost in the crowd, so I came to your rescue.”

Me: “My saviour! I’ll follow you.”

I sat down at their table, somewhat relieved not to be alone to eat my lunch.

Alexy: “So, how was the morning? Have you managed to find your way around campus?”

Me: “Perfect, I had the class in my major this morning, it was… Surprising!”

Alexy: “Oh right, it’s with the new sandy-skinned teacher?”

Rosa: “’Sandy-skinned’? Hey for someone who isn’t taking Art History, sounds like you had time to get a good look at Tetraky’s teacher.”

Me: “Hahaha, I think everyone’s looking at him that way.”

Alexy: “Young flesh. That always gets people talking. The rest of us students are bored; our topics of conversation are actually totally mundane and basic.”

Rosa: “So I see.”

Me: “In any case, I’m glad to have such an intriguing class. It’ll be a change from the past few years of learning stud by heart – I mean whole encyclopaedias on Art in every shape and form.”

Alexy: “Are you sure it’s the class that’s intriguing? Not… the teacher in charge of the class instead?”

Me: **“No, that’s really not what I meant.”**  

That’s not really my thing, being into teachers…

Alexy: “And you’re definitely right. There’s enough to handle with all the sexy students…”

Rosa: “For that matter, speaking of sexy students…!”

Alexy: “Here we go again, two minutes went by without talking about my case, and now we’re back on the subject again.”

Me: “Might I have missed out on something?”

Rosa: “The guy we were talking about Friday night… The notorious lost student. Alexy’s got a crush on him!”

All of a sudden, a memory came back to me. A lost student…

Me: “Hold on… A dark-haired guy with a long fringe in his eyes? He was wearing a leather jacket.”

Alexy: “Yes! That’s him, it has to be him! Do you know him?”

Me: “He was looking for the dormitories and I tried to find the admin officer. We met in one of the auditoriums in the art building.”

Rosa: “What was I saying, he is really and truly the lost student.”

Alexy: “So do you know his first name?”

Me: “ **Morgan**.” 

Alexy: “That’s it, I remember now, I heard someone call him on campus the first day.”

Rosa: “We have a first name! Now we can move on to step number two.”

Me: “Step number two?”

Rosa: “It’s time to organise a meeting! The first morning back at school is over, you’ve already been single too long as it is Alexy. We’re going to prepare a final battle.”

Me: “Uh…”

Alexy: “No no, you’re not dreaming Tetrakys, Rosalya has been with Leigh for too long; she’s taking care of us singles now.”

Rosa: “No, I’m not! I just know that he was meant for you. I can’t let the chance of your lifetime pass you by.”

Alexy: “’The chance of my lifetime’, let’s not exaggerate; I only saw him once.”

Rosa: “I need to devote myself to a good cause!”

Me: “She sounds serious.”

Alexy: “That’s precisely what worries me.”

Rosa: “Discussions aside, Tetrakys, are you with me, yes or no?”

Me: “ **Organise a meeting between Alexy and the guy of his dreams? That could be fun!** ” 

Alexy: “Apparently I don’t have a say in this! It doesn’t bother you to be organising my future without me?”

Rosa: “We’re your best friends. We know what’s good for you.”

Me: “Of course we do, it can’t do you any harm.”

Rosa: “It’s going to be awesome! He’s going to fall in love with you in a snap of the fingers, you’ll see.”

Alexy: “This girl is a real emotional roller coaster. Rescue me, Tetrakys.”

Me: “Hahaha, I think it’s too late. Sounds like the decision has been made.”

Rosa: “To start with we need to take into account all the info we have before hunting our prey.”

Me: “She mentioned hunting and prey, now I’m getting worried about this guy’s life.”

Alexy: “We don’t even know if he’s gay! For starters, it would be good to know that silly little detail before attempting anything whatsoever, don’t you think?”

Me: “Yes, for sure that’s likely to be a slight obstacle otherwise.”

Alexy: “I don’t know how to approach a guy in this kind of situation… I don’t want to embarrass him. I always find a way to… be sure before making a move.”

Me:  **“Yeah, I see how that could be embarrassing…”**

Alexy: “Right? I’d like you to keep from jumping at him to ask if he’s gay or not.”

Me: “We need a more subtle approach…”

Rosa: “Personally, I say if he’s offended, at least we know what’s what. It’ll mean he wasn’t meant for you!”

Alexy: “That’s kind of simplistic. And what if he’s just not ‘out of the closet’ yet?”

Me: “Yeah, Alexy’s right, Rosa.”

Rosa: “So I guess I drop the ‘guerrilla’ plan?”

Alexy: “You’ve started naming your ‘plans’?”

Me: “The ‘guerrilla’ plan?”

Rosa: “Aggressive questioning!”

Me: “Did you want to make him run away for good?!”

Rosa: “Of course not! You and I would’ve kidnapped him, tied him up and questioned him until he coughed up the truth about his preferences. The Alexy shows up out of nowhere and rescues him from the hands of his nasty assailants! And like that, he falls madly in love with his redeemer.”

Me: “Oh my goodness, that’s…”

Me: **“A very bad idea!”**

Me: “That’s reassuring, I thought I was the only sane person.”

Rosa: “OK, OK… Maybe it was a little far-fetched.”

Me: “I think we can find a subtler plan.”

Rosa: “I have other ideas…”

Me: “No doubt about that!”

Rosa: “You’re at the market, you hand him an apple and you take him…”

Alexy: “That’s the Aladdin story!”

Rosa: “You hand him a plate of spaghetti that the two of you share…”

Alexy: “That’s Lady and the Tramp!”

Rosa: “You let you hair hang out the dorm window so he can climb up…”

Alexy: “I’ warning you, if you suggest Rapunzel, I’m getting up from this table right this second!”

Alexy raised his voice in the dining hall. So much that the students sitting near us all suddenly got quiet and started staring at us. We stopped talking right away, realising that despite the fact that there were only three of us, we were the noisiest in the whole place. I made eye contact with Alexy. And he burst out laughing. In a fit of laughter I was holding my sides to keep from spitting out my last spoonful of yogurt.

_It feels so good to be back together with them. In the end, nothing has changed… They’re still the same. I’m sure this year at the university will be unforgettable._

Once our fit of laughter calmed down, we picked up our trays and headed out.

_I only have one class this afternoon. And it’s time to go to it._

Rosa: “So, we can’t jump at him just to ask him the question…”

Me: “No, that would be unwise.”

Rosa: “Knock him over and let Alexy pick up his notebooks… Their hands touch, they make eye contact…”

Alexy: “So, I’m going to class fast before I hear another one of these absurdities. Tetrakys, promise me you’ll come up with an idea that’s not so off the wall!”

Me: “I promise you, I won’t let her do it.”

Alexy: “Thanks! That’s reassuring.”

Alexy gave us both a kiss on the cheek and took off like lightning.

I know he’s pretending to be annoyed more than he really is… In fact, I’m sure he’s getting a real kick out of our little game.

Rosa: “Aren’t you supposed to be going to class?”

Me: “Oh! Yes. I still have a little free time, but it’s best for me to head towards the classroom, for sure…”

Rosa: “I’ll walk with you. My next class isn’t until tonight. And that way we can keep working on our sneaky plan on the way!”

Me: “Hahaha, you’re not going to give up, are you?”

Rosa: “No way. I take this role very seriously. The day they start walking hand in hand on campus I’ll be able to admire my accomplishment with pride!”

Me: “Remind me, what’s your major again…?”

Rosa: “Clinical psychology, psychopathology and mental health.”

Me: “Oh yeah, that’s right! I couldn’t remember.”

Rosa: “I hear a touch of irony in your tone, Tetrakys.”

Me: “Hahaha, it’s just that… people often say that the shoemaker’s children always go barefoot! Sounds like that expression could apply to other professions.”

Rosa: “As for you, you’ll get what’s coming to you. You won’t be laughing so hard in a few minutes.”

Me: “Oh really?”

Rosa: “Once we’ve taken care of ‘Alexy’s case’, we’ll be able to deal with yours. There’re a whole bunch of singles here on campus – enough for everyone!”

Me: “W-what?”

With that, she went into the Art building, leaving me standing there in front of the entrance.

Me: “Rosalya?! What exactly do you mean? Come here right this minute! You won’t get away with it like that!”

I ran after her in the Art building.

Me: “Not so fast! What were those strange allegations supposed to mean?”

Rosa: “You know perfectly well what it meant! We’re in our last year of university; you’re pretty, you’re intelligent and you’re single.”

Me: “You’re kidding, I really feel like I’m back in high school…”

Rosa: “Did you really think you were going to spend the year curled up in your room studying?”

Me: “N-no but…”

Rosa: “We’re gonna find you a super sexy partner!”

Me: **“OK… A little help never hurts I guess…”**

Rosa: “Yessss! That’s what I like hearing! We’re gonna find you a dream outfit and take you to all the parties in town!”

Gosh, I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

Me: “Psychology isn’t what you should be majoring in… You still have time to set up your own dating agency.”

Rosa: “I don’t see why I can’t do both.”

Me: “I was kidding…”

Rosa: “Unburden your heart: tell a friend your troubles and meet the love of your life!”

Me: “Hahaha, I think I’ll make an appointment just out of curiosity. Sounds like a fortune teller at the fair!”

Amber: “If it’s a real ad, I want an appointment im-me-di-ate-ly!”

My laughter died out suddenly at the back of my throat, and I almost choked.

Me: “Am… Amber?!”

I can’t keep from coughing like a crazy lady.

Amber: “Are you OK? Do you need a glass of water? I’m sorry if I scared you!”

_Amber?! No, this can’t be true._

Amber: “I always have a bottle in my bag. Here, take a sip!”

As I was doing my best to open the bottle, I couldn’t help but stare at her.

Amber?! Here? Why didn’t I even imagine this situation? After all, I saw Nathaniel Friday night.

_I feel my face melting. So am I in for another year of terror and humiliation with this little pest? No. No way I’ll let things happen the way they did in high school. We’re in our last year of university and I have the firm intention of enjoying this year as I please! Amber isn’t the one who’s going to decide my future or criticise every little thing I do. No way._

I stopped drinking and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand before giving her the bottle back.

Amber: “No… Keep it, In insist.”

I glanced at the almost empty bottle that I had crushed in my fingers so overcome with surprise. I ended up showing it clumsily into my bag.

Amber: “You’re back in town? I can hardly believe it! How come?”

Me: “Uh well…”

Amber looks at Rosa surprised.

Amber: “Oh, sorry Rosalya, I was so surprised at seeing Tetrakys that I forgot to say hi to you.”

Amber gives Rosalya a little hug.

_Amber gave Rosalya a little hug?! W-what? If there was ever a person who loathed Amber as much as me it was Rosa!_

I watched them say hallo and make small talk for about ten seconds before Amber turned back to face me. I closed my dropped jaw realising that I had been gaping for a while.

Amber: “And so?! How come you’re back among us?”

Me: **“I came back to do my last year of university. But I didn’t think I’d run into so many from the old high school crowd…” ( _Especially not you_.)**  

Amber: “Oh yeah, lots of us ended up staying after high school. So awesome you could come back. It must seem weird to you, so many things have changed here…”

_You can say that again._

Amber: “Something wrong?”

I glanced at Rosalya who didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see this ‘new, unrecognisable Amber’.”

Me: **“Sorry I’m having a real hard time recognising you. You’ve changed so much!”**

Amber: “I got the same impression about you. I had already seen you around but I didn’t dare come up to you, not being sure it was really you.”

Me: “Oh really?”

Amber: “And when I saw you talking to Rosalya, I though, now there’s no doubt about it.”

I had already imagined our conversation if ever one day I ran into Amber again… I imagined telling her all the things she made me feel, reminding her of all the times she hurt someone… I imagined everything. Everything but that. It seems like she wants to totally ignore the past. I don’t know if people can really change… We shall see.

Amber: “And so are you doing the same major as Rosa? In psychology?”

Me: “No, I’m majoring in modern art.”

Amber: “So it’s logical I ran into you here, I should’ve known. That’s great!”

Me: “What about you? What are you studying?”

Amber: “I’m doing a degree in French… I wanted to do something that could help me in my job…”

Me: “Your job?”

Amber: “Yeah, I’m only going to school part-time. I’ve started a modelling career.”

Me: “ **Modelling?! And do you do fashion shows sometimes?”**

Amber: “Yes! Sometimes, but not yet for any big brands, I hope to get noticed one of these days.”

Rosa: “I’m sure you’re going to succeed.”

I looked at Rosa. She seemed sincere.

Amber: “Anyway, it’s a passion that’s driven me for a long time. Already when I was really young, I used to do fashion shows for my whole family. I’d force my mom and Nathaniel to sit in the living room, and my dad would get out the camcorder to capture it all! An-y-way…”

Bringing up her father, Amber turned pale. Everything came back to mind… Right away, I thought back on Nathaniel who I ran into on Friday night… When I found out what was going on back then… _It’s horrible. I wonder what became of their father_ … She shook her head as if to chase away a specific thought and then smiled at us.

Amber: “In any case, I’m glad I ran into you. I don’t want to keep you any longer, I wouldn’t want you to be late on the first day.”

Me: “I still have a little time left before the class starts… It should be OK:”

Amber: “Oh… well, I’m going to go, I have to cross the whole campus to get to my class. See you soon, I’m sure.”

Me: “Y-yeah, sure.”

Rosa: “Be seeing you!”

Amber went past us, lying a friendly hand on my shoulder as a goodbye.

Then she went on her way, leaving behind only wafts of her perfume.

I can’t get over it. Amber. Here. Amber but not exactly Amber. Not the one I remember in any case.

Rosa: “Are you OK, Tetrakys? Your mouth is gaping, you’re mumbling incomprehensibly, and staring into space.”

I shut my mouth right away.

Rosa: “I studied that kind of symptoms in a class on schizophrenia. I can recommend a good therapist, if you want!”

Me: “No things should be OK, thanks. She left fast… Am I the one who made her run off?”

Rosa: “At the same time, it wouldn’t be fair to say you were the warmest person in the world!”

Me: “Still, you could’ve warned me!! That Amber was here and that she wasn’t herself anymore! That’s why I was so wary.”

Rosa: “Admit that it wouldn’t have been as funny as seeing your face when she came up to you!”

Me: **“But how is it possible for her to have changed so much?**  

Rosa: “She changed slowly starting in our first year of university. And since then, I’ve gotten used to it. It had really totally slipped my mind until she pounced on us to say hi.”

Me: ”Slipped your mind? How  could such a thing have slipped your mind?! I get the impression she’s been brainwashed or something like that.”

Rosa: “Maybe that’s it after all!”

Me: ”Between her and Nathaniel… They both totally changed…”

Rosa: “Oh no… We’re back in the Nathaniel topic. I already told you you’ll understand when you see hi...”

Me: ”I saw him. Friday night. After we went out.”

Rosa: “And you didn’t even tell me! How’d you see him? What’d he say to you?”

Me: **”After we went out… On the way home on campus, some guys hassled me…”**  

Rosa: “S-some guys?”

Rosalya gazed at me wide-eyed. My breath started getting quicker… I hadn’t thought about it a single second today… until now.

Rosa: “Are you hurt? Are you OK?”

She held my face in her hands to see if I had any traces whatsoever of being hit.

Me: ”Yes, I’m OK, but…”

Rosa: “Was Nathaniel part of the gang of guys who assaulted you? He recognised you? Geez, I’m going to rearrange his…”

Me: ”O-of the gang of guys? What? No! He’s the one who rescued me!”

Rosa: “Who… seriously?”

Me: ”Do you really think Nathaniel could have done that?? Fortunately he was in the area. Without him…”

 _Thinking back on that moment was more painful than I would’ve imagined_ …

Rosa: “I don’t think you grasp just how bad Nathaniel’s reputation is here… To answer your question straightforward, no, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he were part of that gang.”

I thought back on the two guys who were frightened when they saw him showup… They seemed to recognise him…

Rosa: “I’m sorry…!”

I looked up at Rosa’s face. She seemed upset.

Rosa: “I should never have let you walk home alone! It’s my fault!”

Me: ”You couldn’t have known! And besides, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Thanks to him actually…”

Rosa: “Are you sure?”

Me: ”If the two of us had been together, it would’ve been the same. They would’ve hassled both of us! Seriously, everything’s fine.”

Rosa: “If you’re sure…”

Me: ”I’m sure.”

Rosa: “OK… And so, did he recognise you?”

Me: ”Yes! As soon as he saw me. But personally, it took me a while…”

Rosa: “Tell me about it, he’s unrecognisable!”

Me: ”Seeing him again felt weird, all the same…”

Rosa: “Did he tell you he regretted your break-up? That it was all his fault? And then he kissed you passionately in the rain?”

Me: ”No, not exactly. He wasn’t the same anymore… Like you said, he’s changed…”

Rosa: “So much the better! I’m going to be able to find you the perfect, young flesh, as planned!”

Me: ”Oh, well I see you haven’t lost your grip on things.”

Rosa: “Of course not, I know what my goals are.”

Me: ”So anyway…”

Rosa: “What do you mean ‘So anyway’? Is that all you have to say?”

Me: ”No… We talked about anything and everything. It was actually mundane.”

Rosa: “Hmm. You… You’re hiding something from me…”

Me: ”No! Absolutely not.”

Rosa: “But since I don’t want you to be late to one of your first classes, I’ll let you enter the auditorium. But… I’m warning you…”

Me: ”Yes?”

Rosa: “You won’t get out of my interrogation!”

Me: ”Well, I know what to expect.”

Rosa: “Oh, you sure do, and there’s no way around it!”

With that, Rosa headed to the building exit, giving me a bright big smile. I think back about Amber… I still can’t believe it was her. A brand new Amber. As I replayed the scene that just took place a few minutes ago… I realised that another detail had struck me.

_I don’t remember Amber being so skinny back in our high school days… She was always one of those pretty girls that people envy and that has a dream body without any effort but now… Still, in a field like modelling, I guess that kind of waist is kind of ‘standard’. Enough, I have to stop daydreaming… And I have to go to class right this minute!_

 

I went back to Auditorium 2.

_I dawdled for so long that I end up getting to class when there are practically no seats left. Chani is already seated next to someone and Melody is seated right up front. She’s looking straight ahead. The only seats left are at the back…_

Mr. Lebarde: “Hello, hello.”

 _Hey, I didn’t see this teacher on enrolment day_ …

Mr. Lebarde: “This class will be devoted to an introduction to Medieval architecture in the 10th to 12th centuries…”

This was already the course that bored me the most at my latest university…

I automatically started scribbling on the corner of my paper. As if overcome by an old habit…

 _His voice is so monotonous… I should record it so I could play it back on sleepless nights… I’m sure it’d work if he sold CDs to all the insomniacs crazy about Medieval art. I would’ve liked to get Chani’s attention to tell her my joke, but she’s too faraway to hear me_.

Mr. Lebarde: “…as such transversal topics are developed between art, archaeology, history and a renewed epistemological debate…”

 _I’ll never make it through two hours_. _In any case I know perfectly well that all I have to do is open the recommended books and learn it by heart… Makes you wonder why they oblige us to take this kind of class, since it’s maybe ten times more amusing when you open a book. Architecture is above all something visual… At least in the books, there are pictures! I think back on Mr. Zaidi’s class this morning… I didn’t see the time go by. Too bad not all the teachers have his views on learning…_

I raised my head suddenly upon hearing the screechy sound of chalk on the board. _It’s definitely the only thing that yanked me from boredom during the class…_ When the bell rang, I was one of the first ones to leave the classroom. _Chani must be around here somewhere…_

Me: “There you are! You disappeared from the class so fast…”

Chani: “I thought you were already out of the classroom.”

Me: “So… what about the class? It was deadly bor…”

Chani: “So awesome! I loved it. Now that’s something other than Mr. Zaidi’s ‘debate’ classes. This really gets to the heart of the matter.”

Me: “W-what?”

Chani: “No, seriously. The fight between those artists who wanted to portray the ideal world in images confronted with the Church’s dogma! It was better than a Rammstein concert.”

Me: “Are you being sarcastic? I was practically fell into a deep, eternal sleep listening to that teacher.”

Chani: “I don’t know what it takes for you. That class was invigorating.”

Me: “I thought the class would have been like a sedative for everyone.”

Chani: “No, I think I have finally found my calling.”

Me: “There’s no doubt about it!”

_At least I’ll have a friend who will make reviewing for the final exams in this subject interesting… Well, maybe._

Chani: “See you around, I’m going to delve into reviewing the lesson. With a little luck, the next one will deal with Alexander the Great and the way he modernised ancient art!”

Me: “Uh… I really hope that’ll be the topic. Can’t wait.”

Chani: “I recognise the sarcasm: I invented sarcasm.”

Me: “Hahaha, have a nice evening Chani, see you tomorrow.”

Chani: “You too.”

 

I went back toward my room and as soon as I entered the dormitory building I ran into Priya.

Priya: “Hey, might that be the new Cosy Bear Café waitress?”

Me: “It is indeed, in the flesh!”

Priya: “You haven’t been fired yet?”

Me: “ **Don’t exaggerate, I wasn’t that clumsy!** ” 

Priya: “More than anything, you were too cute. But we weren’t far from the world record in screw-ups per second, that being said.”

Me: “I think I’m trying to forget those humiliating moments. I’m in denial.”

Priya: “You’re funny. People don’t change deep down. This is my Tetrakys from high school, no doubt about it.”

Me: “Your Tetrakys?”         

Priya: “Yes, mine. The one I had kept in my memories.”

Me: “Oh.”

Priya: “The one who always stuck her nose into other people’s business out of curiosity but especially out of kindness. I don’t know if you realizes it but I watched you pretty much when I noticed we had the same… sense of justice.”

Me: “Hahaha, yep, those were the days. I remember you backed me up several times. But I’m not like that anymore now. I mean, let’s say I try to stick my nose in other people less…”

I had a flashback seeing myself interrupting the argument between Chani and Yeleen.

Me: “Yes, I’ve definitely changed.”

Priya looked at me a second her eyes squinting as if she were trying to probe into my thoughts. But she didn’t insist.

Priya: “Anyway, I’m going to get some fresh sir. I’ve thought way too much for a single day and I’ve already seen over fifty legal texts go by. That’s way too much for the first day!”

Me: “I can hardly imagine, for sure.”

Priya: “See you later.”

I smiled at her instead of answering and I got back on my way to my dorm room.

_Darn, I didn’t talk to Priya about Amber. I would have really liked knowing her point of view on the matter. I’m intrigued by their transformation, Nathaniel’s and hers. Just until I get used to it, most likely… But it’s staying there in the back of my mind._

 

Once I got back to my room…

Yeleen: “A package came. The supervisor thought I was you. I don’t see how it didn’t register with him.”

Me: “Uh well… maybe because he doesn’t knows us yet?”

Yeleen: “Do I look like someone named Tetrakys?”

Me: “A-alright.” _Let’s hear it for the welcome._ “So where’s the notorious package?”

Yeleen: “You want me to hold your hand and walk you to your bed?”

I glanced at the foot of my bed. A big box was indeed there lying on the side, crushing my notebooks.

_I’m not going to say a word; it would just make a pointless conversation worse._

I grabbed hold of the box to put it on my bed. It was surprisingly heavy. I ripped off all the tape as fast as I could. _I love getting packages; it’s like opening Christmas presents. It makes me feel just as happy and excited!_ As soon as I opened one of the flaps, a little cloud of sparkles flew up into my face. I heard a little stifled laugh. I didn’t dare look up at Yeleen, but I felt my cheeks turn red. _I’ve always been especially good at showing myself in my best light in front of my rivals. This is already the second time today, considering I almost choked in front of Amber._ Looking down into my box, I saw that a little light blue envelope has been stuck on a stack of bed linen. I unsealed the envelope to immerse myself in the note undoubtedly written by my parents. “Hello to our favourite historian!” I couldn’t read it without hearing my mother’s voice. “The sparkles were your father’s idea! Did it work?” _Thanks a million Mom and Dad._ I continue reading… They were doing fine, they already missed me, they had sent me the stuff I hadn’t been able to take with me when I left. The letter ended with a “We love you Drooler, and I see you making a face now, but you loved that nickname when you were 3 years old!” _I’m so glad it’s a letter and that they kept from coming to say that in person in front of my great roommate who would’ve been overjoyed to use it._ As I finished the letter, I felt a little pang of emotion, a touch of homesickness. Underneath were my spare sheets for my bed, my mini family photo album, one of my jackets that took up too much room to bring in my suitcase. And… My cuddly toy from when I was a baby -  a little stuffed llama – with a tiny ‘Drooler’ embroidered on the label. Mom must have thought that was funny, too. I stowed the llama carefully away inside one of my jacket sleeves to hide it from my nosey roommate and then started putting the rest of my stuff away.

Yeleen: “So, what is it?”

Me: **“Stuff my parents sent.”**

Yeleen: “I see… By any chance, would thee happen to be a set of sheets in that box?”

She asks the question but we both know perfectly well that she saw them when I took them out of the package. The topic was sure to come up again at one point or another. I looked at the sheets on my bed; I still had hers on mine… She was still sleeping in my sheets, too.

Yeleen: “I’ll let you take care of cleaning mine before giving them back; I don’t have any spare ones for the time being, so in the meantime I’ll keep yours.”

Me: “ **Well, what about my sheets? You’ll wash them too, I hope. I’m not the one who left the can of paint barely balanced at the top of the closet**.” 

 

Yeleen: “Of course. I may be hard at times, but I’m not totally deprived of common sense.”

I was expecting more aggressiveness.

Me: “OK… Thanks.”

I took her sheets off my bed to put on mine. _I’ll deal with washing them sometime this week… After all there’s no rush._ We both put our things away in a deadly silence. I went to take a shower. And when I got back, Yeleen had disappeared. I plunked myself down onto my bed, reading one last time the letter from my parents… _I’ll phone them tomorrow to thank them_. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep right away…

 

 

**Part 4 – The end of the week**

_These first sew days at the university have gone pretty smoothly. Four days have gone by already. That was just the first week, now I feel like the teachers are going to toughen up on us. I got into a routine on campus fast. It seemed big at first, but in the end, you find your way around fast. I don’t have class this morning. I got a text message from Hyun asking me to come by the café to sign my contract. That’s good timing. I can head over there right now._

Hyun: “Hi. You’re here already?! We’re lucky to have such a motivated new recruit.”

Me: “ **Motivated yes, I hope I won’t be as clumsy as during my trial run, but…** ”

Hyun: “It’ll be hard to do worse!”

Me: “…You’re probably right.”

Hyun: “Don’t worry, here before you stands the Master Jedi of cappuccino. I’ll teach you everything.”

Me: “Hahaha, aren’t I lucky!”

Hyun: “I’m sure you’ll handle it just fine.”

Me: “Thanks Hyun.”

I like him. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. Working with him should be enjoyable.

Hyun: “Follow me, we’ll go see Clemence. She’s the one with your contract.”

Me: “There aren’t many costumers today…”

Hyun: “Cloudy Friday mornings are always calm. You weren’t lucky the day you interviewed. Before school starts back, it’s always really busy.”

Me: “Yep, for sure, there were all the conditions required for me to screw up.”

Hyun: “You’ll get used to it. You just need a little practice!”

We entered the café.

Hyun: “Ma’am? Tetrakys is here.”

Clemence: “Hyun, sweetheart, I’ve already told you to call me Clemence.”

Me: “Good morning Clemence.”

Clemence: “…Yes, morning.”

Me:  **“Where do I sign?”**

Clemence: “Well, it looks like you’ve perked up, newbie. I like that, people who aren’t easily disoriented.”

Me: “I just don’t want to waste your time.”

Clemence: “’Waste my time’, now that’s a good reason to sign a contract as fast as possible.”

Hyun grinned at me, as if to encourage me not to let her walk all over me.

Clemence: “Hyun, son, would you mind going to get me the contract in the kitchen, please?”

Hyun followed orders, smiling uncomfortably.

The way she has of talking to him is really peculiar. I’d swear he’s treated better than the café’s costumers, even…

Clemence: “So, for the schedules, there aren’t set hours. Most likely I’ll call you at the last minute for busy days or for special events.”

Me: “ **Sure, no problem…** ” 

Clemence: “With me, there are no problems. That’s the way it is, period.”

Me: “Obviously the days I have classes are likely to be a little more borderli…”

Clemence: “I don’t want to hear about it.”

Me: “But how…”

Clemence: “Excuses, here we go, they’re starting.”

Me: “I just want…”

Clemence: “Fine. The discussion is closed.”

I see… I get the impression that communicating is going to be a piece of cake.

Hyun: “Here you go, Tetrakys.”

Me: “Thanks Hyun.”

I took a pen out of my bag and approached the contract.

**_I should at least read the contract before signing it._ **

I put the cap back on my pen and started to skim the pages.

Clemence: “What are you doing?”

Me: “I-I’m just reading the contract before signing it…”

Clemence: “Hut to it, missy, no time to spare, you can read it at home, I have tables to set and honey eggplant appetisers to make!”

Me: “B-but I…”

Clemence: “’But I’ what?”

Hyun: “I can stay with her while she reads and signs her contract if you want.”

Clemence glared at me right away. As if she were blaming me for having let Hyun suggest that.

Clemence: “No, I wouldn’t want to impose such a chore on you.”

Hyun: “I don’t mind at all… Besides the customers don’t like my eggplant appetisers as much as yours. It’d be better if you made them.”

_It sounds like Hyun really understands how Clemence ticks… He knows how to deal with her apparently._

Clemence: “Nowadays people have no taste as far as gourmet cooking goes.”

She gave him a teasing wink.

Clemence: “OK, so… read it. When you’ve finished, let Hyun get back to work; he has a lot to do.”

Me: “OK, Clemence.”

Clemence: “I’d rather you call me ‘Ma’am’.”

With those final words, she took off for the bar to grab an apron, then headed to the kitchen.

Me: “Sorry to waste your time but it seems to me I have the right to read my contract, seriously…”

Hyun: “Yes, it’s a good idea. I’m just surprised to see someone stand up to Clemence! You may have a real chance of keeping the job.”

_That’s reassuring._

I read the contract, nothing looked suspicious in the terms. To do it right, I would’ve needed Priya, as in future talented attorney. She would’ve spotted the slightest fishy line. Once the contract signed, Hyun put it down on the bar counter. Then he invited me to follow him outside.

Hyun: “Congratulations are in order, I’d say. Welcome to the team!”

Me: “Thanks, I’m relieved, I feel like the pressure is dying down.”

Hyun: “That’s normal. And don’t worry about Clemence… She can be blunt, but she knows how to be fair when needed.”

_I hope so…_

Me: “Have a nice day. I’m going to eat at the campus dining hall before my afternoon class starts.”

Hyun: “Enjoy your meal!”

 

I ran into Chani at the campus gates.

Chani: “Where were you? I’m starving. I gobbled down a third-year student!”

Me: “You wouldn’t have dared. I’m practically sure it’s a serious enough reason to get you expelled.”

Chani: “That’s definitely what kept me from doing it.”

Me: “I went to sign my contract.”

Chani: “Your contract?”

Me: “Yes, you have before your very eyes the new Cosy Bear Café waitress!”

Chani: “I don’t know where it is. But I’m thrilled for you.”

Me: “Thanks Chani! I admit that today is off to a pretty good start.”

Chani: “Come on, to celebrate, lunch is on me.”

Me: “Really? Where?”

Chani: “In the dining hall. I’m hungry Tetrakys. And you don’t know what happens when I get hungry, but you don’t want to see it. It’s likely to be horrible.”

Me: “Haha I get it, come on, let’s go.”

We got back on campus at a sprint. We each picked up a tray and went to serve ourselves. Chani threw herself at the first free seats before someone else grabbed them first.

Chani: “Oh boy, that does a world of good.”

Me: “Yeah, looks pretty good.”

Chani: “Pretty good? These are the best fries in the whole 21st century.”

Me: “I think it’s the hunger talking.”

Chani: “Could be.”

Then a shadow hovered over my tray, and I spun around immediately. Mr. Zaidi was standing behind me.

Rayan: “Might I keep you company?”

I was so surprised to see him that I dropped my French fry in my plate.

Chani: “Of course, sit down, Sir.”

He set his tray next to mine and sat down. I gave Chani a surprised look. She looked at me wide-eyed, inviting me to make small talk.

Me: “ **Isn’t there a dining room for the teaching staff?** ” 

Rayan: “There you go, wanting to stigmatise the teachers who want to get to know their little cherubs better.”

Me: “No, I didn’t mean…”

Rayan: “I’m joking, obviously. There is actually a dining room for the teachers but the conversations there are long and dull… I wanted a change today.”

Chani seemed to be watching the table behind me. That’s when as I scan the room, I realised that a major part of the dining hall was scrutinising us with curiosity. Mr. Zaidi, the new teacher, seated with a new student: the whispering travelled through the dining hall. I glanced over at Mr. Zaidi. He didn’t seem worried in the least. I didn’t dare start the conversation back up again… In silence, I just chewed little mouthfuls of meat that I was having a hard time swallowing.

Chani: “Do you know Professor Lebarde, who teaches medieval and ancient art?”

Chani tries to fill the heavy silence looming over our table.

Rayan: “Yes, absolutely, he teaches one of the most important classes you have to take this year, I think. It’s fascinating.”

_His voice is always nice and sweet when he answers._

Chani: “Fascinating? Extraordinary, I’d say! What do you think of the pre-Hellenic civilizations, did they have an influence on the development of French art in the Middle Ages?”

He looked at me, gaping. I stifled a laugh. _It really sounds like he is precisely caught up in a debate like the one he is trying to avoid in the staff dining room_. Trapped, he answered Chani, which only encouraged her to ask more questions. I kept eating my meal, unhurried, while listening to them. After about twenty minutes, Mr. Zaidi had finished eating everything that had been on his tray.

Rayan: “I won’t answer that last question. It’s up to you to find the outcome. A little tip: read Jean Adhémar’s writings.”

Chani: “Oh yes, thanks! I’ll make a note of that.”

And with that last remark he got up from the table.

Rayan: “Thanks ladies for having accepted my company during the meal.”

I smiled at him, without saying a word.

Rayan: “It was… surprising. The staff room is every bit as good as the campus dining hall. Weather it’s the food or the exchange of ideas.”

I held back another laugh. I don’t know if Chani will take it well.

He said goodbye and left with his empty tray.

Chani: “Luckily I was there to make conversation! You turned bright red. I though we were going to spend an hour in silence.”

Me: “Thanks Chani, haha. I admit he throws me off a little… He isn’t like… like the other teachers.”

Chani: “Anyway, come on, let’s get out of here before the vultures from the other tables come and interrogate us.”

 

We left the dining hall.

Chani: “Well, that lunchtime was… surprising.”

Me: “To say the least. Let’s go right away, I don’t want to be late for the next class.”

Chani: “There isn’t class this afternoon.”

Me: “Yes there is, look. It’s even with a new teacher… Ms…”

Chani: “Miss Paltry! You have the self-help class. The first class is compulsory. I already had it…”

Me: “Oh really?”

Chani: “Yes, you remember, she’s the one who did the orientation meeting on the first day of school. Self-help is a ‘class’ that groups together different university majors. You’ll see.”

Me: “OK, I’m out of here! See you later, Chani.”

Once in Auditorium 2…

_I don’t recognise many people from my major in this class, that’s for sure…_

Miss Paltry: “Don’t be surprised! All the majors are mixed together here, as I already explained at the orientation meeting.”

I sat down next to a student I had never seen before…

Miss Paltry: “Well, the class is likely to be shorter than I planned.”

She looked at her watch nervously…

Miss Paltry: “I’m just going to explain in more detail what we’re going to do here. For starters, has anyone already heard of self-help classes?”

A guy I couldn’t make out raised his hand at the front of the class.

Miss Paltry: “Yes?”

Morgan: “It’s a class that lets students freely discuss current events or things that concern campus life.”

_It’s him! Alexy’s much talked-about love at first sight. Luckily Rosa isn’t here; she would’ve thrown a fit about us going to talk to him right after the end of class._

Miss Paltry: “That’s exactly right. Freely. And anonymously.”

_Anonymously? How’s that possible if we’re all sitting face to face in a classroom?_

Miss Paltry: “I see some questioning looks. Quite simply, there’s a little blue box that I’ll set up for each class. I want you to automatically drop a slip of paper in it. It can be a blank piece of paper on which nothing is written. Or it can be an idea for a topic that you’d like to discuss.”

_I see…_

Miss Paltry: “Since you’ll drop a paper in every time, no one’ll know who the papers in the box belong to.”

_I get it…_

Miss Paltry: “To encourage you to not be so shy, I’m going to ask everyone to bring up a topic. Out loud for today and that will be the only time. No exceptions.”

Droplets of sweat started forming on the back of my neck.

_I hate feeling obliged to put myself in the spotlight in a class._

Voices were heard, starting with the first rows, in the front of the auditorium.

_A topic, a topic, a topic…_

Miss Paltry: “…Interesting… Your turn, Miss.”

_Already?_

Me: “ **Terrorist attacks.** ” 

Some whispering travelled through the auditorium.

Miss Paltry: “That is indeed… A very good topic… Hard to discuss, and it has had an impact on all of us. I’ll most likely talk about it during the year.”

_I don’t know where I got that from…_

Miss Paltry made the rounds of the room.

Miss Paltry: “So there. Thanks for your participation. I hope you understand the principle. Just a reminder: this class is optional for your degrees but it isn’t for your personal well-being. Think about it.”

_Yeah… anyway if I remember correctly, during the orientation meeting she nevertheless explained that it added points to our record… I’ll most likely attend a few classes during the year…_

Miss Paltry: “Thanks for your participation. Remember to come with ideas to put into the box for the next class. You’re free to go now.”

I picked up my stuff and headed to the next exit.

 

_It ends up I’m free much faster than expected… I had noticed this gym next to the bar I went to with Rosa and Alexy… I could go there to work out and let off some steam… For starters, I need some workout clothes. I’m going to go into town to find some. And then I’ll go._

I walked to the shopping district.

_Wow! Looks like new stores have popped up since my high school days. Leigh’s shop is open! I’m going to start there. The shop is packed today. But Leigh doesn’t seem to be around… Maybe it’s his day-off. So, I’m going to try find a gym outfit as fast as possible. Let’s see what they have… This one is perfect!_

After standing in line for about twenty minutes, I made it through the checkout…

_It’s impressive… Looks like business is doing better and better, here. I’ll mention it to Rosa. Well, now all I have to do is to go let off some steam!_

_This is where… When I was walking home Friday night… Without Nathaniel, I’m not sure I would’ve made it to the campus dormitories… As I walk through the alleys, the shouting comes back to mind._ I folded my arms across my chest… And I walked through faster. _I won’t walk home late from the gym… No way I’ll walk this way after nightfall…_

I walked faster towards the gym. I hurried to slip inside the building.

Kim: “Welcome! If you came to perspire, this is where the action is!”

Me: “I can’t believe it! KIM!”

Kim: “Tetrakys! Well I never…”

She swooped down on me before hugging me so tight my bones popped.

Me: “Haha, go easy, you’re going to crush me!”

Kim: “Well, I wasn’t expecting to run into you!”

Me: “Same does for me!”                   

Kim: “Have you come to say hello to your old friends you left high and dry four years ago?”

_Lots of them blame me for leaving without keeping in touch…_

Me: “No, I came back here for my last year at the university.”

Kim: “Oh, I see… And this whole time, a little text message to remind us that you were alive, would that have killed ya?”

Me: “I admit I should’ve contacted everyone… It’s my fault. The way life goes, sometimes we don’t have the choice to…”

Kim: “Spare me your crappy excuses. We were sad when you left, and ya come back with no warning!”

Me: “I didn’t even know you had stayed here…”

Kim: “If you had tried to contact me, you would’ve known.”

She’s right about that.

Me: “I’m sorry Kim! I’m really glad to see you again now.”

Kim: “Yeah, yeah, that’s what they all say.”

Me: “So… Are you at Anteros University too?”

Kim: “University? No, you know, the classes… That was never really my thing.”

Me: “But I seem to remember you got things back on track for the high school finals…”

_I remember Nathaniel tutoring her to catch up…_

Kim: “Yeah, but still I didn’t want to ruin the best years of my life listening to lectures!”

Me: “So you come here to work out, too?”

Kim: “Work out? I’m the manager of this gym, sweetheart!”

Me: “You’re kidding? That’s awesome!”

Kim: “Yep. I was hired two years ago. It suits me better than staying stuck behind a desk doing a university degree.”

Me: “That’s great. I haven’t seen any other gyms in town. This one must do good business.”

Kim: “True, it’s a small town. We’re lucky not to have any competitors.”

Me: “You can be sure of having me as a regular costumer.”

Kim: “Glad to know it. By the way, chatting isn’t gonna help you burn those calories.”

She patted my thigh lightly and gave me a teasing grin.

_Who better than Kim to coach? That role fits her like a glove._

Kim: “What are you doing still standing here? I see you have your gym wear. Perfect.”

Me: “Yes! Here I go, Kim!”

Kim: “No calling me Kim. Here it’s coach! Come on, I’ll show you what you can start with.”

Kim gave me a tour of the gym and explained how certain machines worked… I went for a basic: the treadmill at the back of the gym.

Kim: “You can wear headphones to work out with music. But avoid leaving them hanging around your neck, accidents happen fast, believe me.”

I swallowed hard imagining what a treadmill accident might be like.

Kim: “And you’ll find all the drinks you need at reception. Let me know if you need anything whatsoever.”

Me: “Thanks, Kim.”

Kim: “No…!”

Me: “I mean, coach!”

Kim: “That’s more like it. Go on, go for it.”

I started out on the treadmill listening to my jogging playlist.

_Boy do I love having this feeling again. The first week of university was incredibly long. I feel like I’m leaving it behind me as I run and finally take control of things._

I heard a regular thumping sound behind me… For a second, I thought it was coming from my music. I took off my headphones.

_There’s a noise coming from the back of the gym… It’s Nathaniel!! He’s hitting a punching bag with all his might. I didn’t know he boxed… Did he already box back in high school? He never mentioned the sport to me… Back then, he was more into detective novels… He hasn’t noticed me yet… He looks pretty concentrated. **Better for me to go discreetly back to what I was doing** … I took a few steps back then turned around to go back to the machines. _

_We’ll most likely run into each other once he’s finished._

Nath: “Tetrakys?”

 _Ooops!_ _I wasn’t as discrete as I thought I was._

Me: “I didn’t want to bother you…!”

Nath: “Too late, what’s done is done. Have you been spying on me long like that?”

Me: “ **A little while. The view is kind of nice.** ” 

Nath: “Oh really? I’ll let you look, if you know how to, in silence.”

Me: “Have you been boxing for long?”

Nath: “I figured it would be impossible.”

Me: “To?”

Nath: “Watch in silence.”

Me: “Oh…”

Nath: “In any case, I was almost finished… so you were saying?”

Me: “I was wondering if you’d been boxing for a long time?”

Nath: “Pretty long, yeah… I was already boxing back in high school. Right after high school I got into it more seriously. It’s a great sport for letting off steam… and defending yourself.”

Me: “ **Yeah, well… It’s pretty violent.** ” 

 

Nath: “Right, that’s kind of the principle. But when you’ve got the basics down, you realize that it also requires real self-control.”

Me: “Oh really?”

Nath: “How naïve! It’s… cute.”

Me: “’Cute’?”

Nath: “Yeah, it’s the first word that popped into my head.”

Me: “…”

Nath: “I’m just saying what I think. Don’t get carried away.”

Me: “I’m not getting carried away! I didn’t say a thing.”

He gave me a little lopsided grin before he resumed punching the bag. He ended up taking off his gloves and stowing them in a corner.

Me: “By the way… About last time…”

Nath: “You got home alright as far as I can tell.”

Me: “Yes. Thanks again…”

Nath: “Next time, let me walk you home, that will keep me from worrying.”

Me: “Keep you from worrying?”

Nath: “Yes. And from following you down the street like a thief.”

Me: “What…? You followed me?”

Nath: “Despite your acting all strong and brave, I could tell you were frightened.”

Me: “Uh… I don’t know if I should think that’s adorable or scary…”

Nath: “Don’t go overboard, it’s just that I wouldn’t have wanted your death on my conscience.”

Me: “How nice!”

_That little mouse… I know he’s teasing me… All the same, he couldn’t keep from following me. I’m thinking back about what Rosalya said; she described him like a criminal… Someone who does that kind of thing, can’t be all bad._

Nath: “Anyway… I have to go feed Blanche…”

Me: “You still have Blanche?!”

Nath: “Yes, did you want me to get rid of her?”

Me: “No, not at all! How is she?”

Nath: “AH! For HER, you want to know how she is, you’re not interested in knowing if she has changed. I don’t have the right to standard questions like that.”

Me: “Come on, you’re not jealous of your cat!”

Nath: “I almost might be.”

Me: “Are you still in the same apartment?”

Nath: “Yep. Haven’t moved since high school.”

I’m thinking back on the reason that drove him to get that apartment… I definitely felt Nathaniel gazing at me. We were thinking the same thing. Better not to bring up the subject… I’m not sure he feels like talking about his father… Especially with me… We’ve barely just gotten back in touch… Now is not the right time.

Nath: “And so, have you signed up at this gym for sure?”

Me: “ **I’m for sure planning on it.** ”

Me: “Why? Would you mind?”

Nath: “Not at all. Quite the opposite in fact. You might make a good punching bag.”

Me: “How nice of you!”

Nath: “Or I could teach you. Wait and see.”

Me: “Really?”

Kim: “Chatting? In my gym?! Against the rules!”

Nath: “Sorry, Kim, someone kind of… disturbed me.”

_He’s overdoing it…_

Nath: “You need to be careful about who you let sign up at this gym.”

Kim: “Any newcomers are welcome. However, yakking is exclusively for lazybones. And the first rule in my gym is: no lazybones in my gym.”

Me: “We’re about to get back to it.”

Kim: “I wanna see you in action!”

Nath: “I was finished anyway, Kim. I’ll see you tomorrow…”

Kim: “You’d better. Or tonight as usual.”

_‘Tonight?’ ‘As usual’?_

Nath: “Yep…it’s a deal.”

Kim gave him a supportive wink, and a gentle pat on his bare shoulder.

_What the…_

Nath: “See you Tetrakys!”

Me: “R-right…”

I didn’t have time to add anything whatsoever; he picked up his stuff and headed out. As he walked by Kim, he flicked a strand of her hair in a teasing way.

_They’re close… I don’t remember them sharing such a bond during high school. Anyway, back then Nathaniel just tutored her so she could catch up. And Kim loved giving him a hard time. They ended up getting along, but you wouldn’t have said they were the best buddies in the world…_

Kim: “What’s all the daydreaming?! If you’re not on a treadmill in a split-second, you’re good for 100 push-ups!”

Me: “W-what?”

_Is she serious? This isn’t a gym, it’s a boot camp._

Kim: “Every time I repeat myself, it’ll be 20 more push-ups.”

Me: “No need to repeat! I’m on it.”

Kim: “That’s what I wanted to hear!”

Me: “I got on the treadmill and got down to it.”

The conversation with Nathaniel keeps running through my head… And the goings-on between Kim and him…

_After all, it’s none of my business. I’m just a revenant, coming back to town after a long absence… Tons of things must’ve happened. And I’m not even aware of half of them…_

Once my work-out was over… I packed up my stuff to go back to campus.

 _I have to be in shape and focused for whatever awaits me. Castiel’s concert with his band is coming soon… I get the feeling that surprises aren’t over yet!_  

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the most boring chapter in my opinion, the interesting bits are the beginning and ending, plus Castiel on the radio if Candy is his ex.
> 
> I know you can't get all illustraions in one playthrough but I am going to include them here anyway if the event is happening in the storyline, e.g. Priya always highfive Candy whatever your choices, the illustration may not appear because of the outfit or the LOM value but the event per se happens anyway.
> 
> If you are interested in what happens when picking another choice check Castiel's route, sometimes I make different choices between the two e.g. here Nath follows Candy back home, in Castiel's route I choose for him to accompany her.


	3. Episode 3 - Operation Matchmaker

Part 1 – First day of work

I woke up with a start. _Darn, did my alarm not ring?! Oh, please, not that!_ I tried to get out of bed to get hold of my phone on the other side of my desk. _I can’t see a thing!_ After zigzagging between my clothes scattered on the floor, I finally got hold of my cellphone. _6:52! In any case, now that I think about it, I don’t have class today… I flipped out for no reason. Since I’m awake, I might as well get ready for the day…_ I raised the blinds slightly so I could see a little better. _Hmm, Yeleen isn’t here? Now that I think of it, I haven’t seen her in the room one single morning. Maybe she takes off in the middle of the night…_ I gathered my things and went to take a shower. _Might as well go out and eat a breakfast worthy of the name._ As I picked up my bag, I realised the poster of Castiel’s concert was still there. **_It’s next week; I’d totally forgotten!_** _The others seemed to say the whole campus would be there… I need contact the others and get organised to go and see it!_

 _A nice breakfast, let’s see, where might I find that… Hmm, my phone’s vibrating. Already so early in the morning! It’s bound to be… Oh no… A message from Clemence!_ “This afternoon we need your help. See you at 9am.” _The afternoon starts at 9am according to Clemence! She didn’t even ask me if I was available. True, I gave my schedule to Hyun… But still… I hesitate answering her… I could just say I was sleeping… So alright, it’d be better to make a good impression. Good thing I got up! Might as well go to the café right now._

Hyun: “Hi! Already up?”

Me: “Oh hi! Yes, I’m on my way to the café.”

Hyun: “So early? I figured I wouldn’t see you until this afternoon. What’s up?”

Me: “ **Clemence sent me a text saying to be there by 9am, I was thrilled.** ”

Hyun: “Oh yeah? She told you at the last minute… That doesn’t sound like her.”

Me: “Really? Maybe it’s a special treatment she reserved just for me.”

Hyun: “Oh? Maybe.”

Hyun doesn’t quite get my irony.

Hyun: “Come on, I’m sure you haven’t had breakfast. I’ll treat you to a coffee or a hot chocolate when we get there, no better way to start the day.”

Me: “For sure… Thanks!”

Once inside the café…

Clemence: “Hi Hyun! You’re already here? You could’ve slept in…”

Me: “Good morn…”

Clemence: “Oh, Tetrakys, I didn’t see you.”

Me: “Right… Good morning Clemence, I came in this morning, as requested.”

Clemence: “Right, so I see. Fine. You have your full uniform, don’t you?”

Me: “Yes, I have it!”

Clemence: “You’d better.”

_If Rosalya saw me in this outfit, she’d most likely call the fashion police. That thought made me smile._

_Clemence went back to work, she’s arranging croissants in a basket on the bar counter. I don’t feel very comfortable, standing there in the middle of the café, it isn’t open yet… What exactly am I here for? I’m going to wait here until she gives me some instructions…_

Clemence: “You OK? You’re not wearing yourself out?”

Me: “Uh no, but I didn’t want to bother you while… while you were busy.”

Clemence: “Bother e while I’m arranging the croissants? Geez, I’ve heard everything now. Come on, let’s take a tour of the café, and I’ll explain your day.”

Me: “Fine.”

Clemence: “Don’t make me repeat myself, I’m warning you.”

Me: “Umm, O.K.”

_Looks like it’s going to be quite a day._

Hyun: “I can take care of that Clemence. I’ll take her on a tour and give her instructions.”

Clemence: “Really? Don’t you want to do something more interesting?”

_I conclude that I am not ‘interesting’…_

Hyun: “I’ll do that.”

Clemence: “Fine, in that case, I’ll be outside, if you need me.”

 _When Hyun makes up his mind, there’s no arguing. She says yes whenever he makes even the slightest suggestion._ Clemence went outside.

Hyun: “So, this is the inside of the café. All you have to do is make sure there’s coffee in the machines and that we’re not out of anything. Put the menus and sugar bowls on each of the tables. So far, so good?”

Me: “I should be able to handle that.”

Hyun: “Follow me to the kitchen.”

Once inside the kitchen we were alone.

Hyun: “How’re you doing? I wanted to take over, I know Clemence can be hard on new recruits.”

Me: “Right… Thanks. I never know how to behave when she’s around. I feel like I get clumsier than usual. It’s… complicated.”

Hyun: “She has that effect on everybody, don’t worry! It’ll change.”

Me: “Thanks.” (He winked at me.)

Hyun: “You’re not the first one that’s happened to, but all others ran off! For once that we have a motivated waitress, no way I’m letting her get away!”

_My good mood comes back. Hyun knows Clemence well… I should trust him._

Hyun: “To give you a bit of courage, here is your breakfast, as promised!”

Hyun handed me a hot chocolate and a warm croissant.

Me: “Oh, thanks!”

After running into Clemence I had practically forgotten Hyun’s promise. I started gobbling down the croissant and he continued giving me instructions while I ate.

Hyun: “And so, here’s the kitchen! For the time being, Clemence is mainly the one who comes in here; she makes the café’s pastries, but when the dishwasher breaks down, this is where the action is. And it’s where you’ll find what you need if we’re out of coffee, sugar, plates or anything else.”

Me: “OK, got it.”

Hyun: “I’ll explain the morning organization.”

Me: “Hold on, if I can just specify something… I won’t always be able to be here at the last minute in the morning though, with classes, it’s complicated.”

Hyun: “Don’t worry, same for me, Clemence knows it.”

Me: “Same for you?”

Hyun: “Yes, I’m at Anteros Academy too.”

Me: “Really? But you never told me!”

Hyun: “You never asked!” he smiled.

Me: “But I haven’t run into you either…”

Hyun: “Well, it’s big, and there are pretty many people!”

Me: “ **Actually, I thought you just worked at the café. And that you managed it more or less with Clemence…** ”

Hyun: “No, I’m a student on the side, but it didn’t bother me, my parents run a restaurant, I’ve always liked doing this.”

Me: “I understand your enthusiasm better now, every time I come here, it seems like you’re happy to be here even though…”

Hyun: “Even though?”

I always end up talking too much!

Hyun: “Even though working with Clemence isn’t a picnic every day?”

Me: “Well…”

Hyun: “I like my job, but I’m realistic. Honestly, you get used to it.”

Me: “Really?”

Hyun: “You’ll see.”

Me: “And so what are you majoring in?”

Hyun: “I’m majoring in media and communications.”

Me: “Oh really? Exactly, what does that consists of…”

Clemence: “Alright already. You got it, newbie? So now you can take care of the tables outside; the first costumers are just sitting down.”

 _She startled me! I hadn’t heard her come up behind me._ I grabbed Hyun’s forearm when I jumped. _Clemence is staring at my hand on Hyun’s arm; I pulled it away immediately, as if it had burnt me._

Hyun: “We haven’t finished; I’ve barely showed her the kitchen.”

Clemence: “Y-yes, fine. S-so I’ll let you finish Hyun.”

_She seems upset._

Clemence: “In any case, you know what you’re doing, I trust you. But don’t let her besiege you with questions, and no need to repeat everything, if she doesn’t understand, we’ll find someone else!”

_It’s always nice to hear someone talk about you in the third person._

Hyun: “No, it’s just the opposite, Tetrakys catches on fast. There’s no problem.”

Clemence: “Still I’m sure you explain everything so well, Hyun dear, anyone would understand.”

 _I understand it’s not a problem for Hyun to work with Clemence…_  She gave me a harsh look and vanished behind the door.

Hyun: “So… Where was I… Yes, anyway, you’ll find everything you need here. In the morning, if ever you get here before Clemence or me, you may be alone, so I’ll give you the spare key to the café later. When you get here, you set the tables, you make sure that mothing is missing and then you just wait for the first customers, couldn’t be easier.”

Me: “That sounds pretty easy to remember so far.”

Hyun: “Seriously, evenings are more complicated; we’ll go over that together another time.”

The door swung open again.

Clemence: “Well, Tetrakys I really need help. Go upfront and take care of the costumers, I’ll keep getting the pastries ready and Hyun will do drinks. That is, if you’re not busy, of course, Hyun.”

 _‘Of course, Hyun’. Does he not even realise how her behaviour changes when she goes from him to me? She’s schizophrenic as far as that goes._ Clemence has vanished again. _What’s up with her behaviour? It seems like she’s got us under surveillance._

Hyun: “Right sorry… Go on. I’ll take care of the drinks.”

_I’d rather stay with Hyun; he’s such more indulgent than Clémence…_

Hyun: “Feel free if you need help or if you have a doubt about anything whatsoever.”

Me: “T-thanks Hyun.”

Hyun: “Oh yeah, just one thing, to open the café in the morning, you have to switch off the alarm, without fail. The code’s 28N1.”

Me: “Fine and where’s the…”

He vanished into the café dining area before I could even finish asking my question. _Right, now’s time for me to enter the ring!_

_There’s only one person outside. Yet Clemence seemed really busy… Might as well take care of the person waiting. Better for me not to waste time._

Me: “Welcome to the Cosy Bear Café, what would you like?”

Yeleen: “A-again. No way. I go to class and you’re there, I go to my room, and you’re there, I come to have coffee and you’re there, too.”

Me: “ **Well, yes, I’m going to end up thinking our fates is to spend our lives together.** ”

Yeleen: “Fate, yes. How lucky can I get?”

_I’m not sure, but I would’ve sworn I saw a faint smile cross her lips._

Me: “So…What’ll you have?”

Yeleen: “I’m going to have a hot chocolate. To go.”

I scribbled the order on my pad and slipped it into my apron pocket. _Besides having to be careful about the slightest move I make in front of Clemence, on top of that I have to be friendly waiting on the person I least want to see._ I was about to go inside and ask Hyun to prepare the order when someone else sat down.

Me: “Good morning, what can I get you?”

Nina: “Tetrakys! Is it really you? Wh-what are you doing here?”

Me: “Nina? Talk about a surprise!” _She has grown… so much!_

Nina: “You’re surprising me is more like it! I come to the café regularly, practically all the time even, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen you.”

Me: “Right, it’s my first day of work; not surprising you never saw me here before.”

Nina: “Oh right, OK. I thought you’d left town forever or who knows what…”

Me: “Well, you should never say never.”

Nina: “Everyone kind of disappeared, even Lysander is faraway now…”

Me: “Have you heard from him?”

Nina: “Not really… He left town when his parents died… Apparently he took over the reins of his parents’ farm.”

Me: “What?! Their parents are… No… That’s horrible I didn’t know… Rosalya didn’t tell me…”

Nina: “Yes, I… It’s really sad. So anyway, Lysander is the past for me now.”

_Even though Nina seems really to have gone on to something else, I guess you just don’t suddenly forget someone you loved as obsessively as she loved Lysander._

Me: “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to bring back painful memories…”

Nina: “No, no… It’s no longer painful anymore. Just the opposite, it’s a very fond memory.”

_She seems lost in her thoughts for a second…Let’s change subjects…_

Me: “And so are you at Sweet Amoris now?”

Nina: “Yes, in my senior year! It’s not a bad place.”

Me: “For that matter, today’s Wednesday, don’t you have class this morning?”

Nina: “Sure I do… But, I don’t feel like going this morning…”

Me: “From time to time… Never hurt anyone.”

Nina: “I didn’t expect you to say that!”

Me: “I wouldn’t lie to you. But in any case, don’t overdo it.”

Nina: “Don’t worry about me.”

Me: “So, what can I get y…”

Yeleen: “I can go get my chocolate somewhere else if you’re busy.”

_That would’ve suited me… I’d love to be able to answer that. But I don’t know what is worse, bearing Yeleen or being subjected to Clemence’s wrath._

Me: “Yeah, sorry, I’m working. I’m coming.”

Me: “So what can I get you Nina?”

Nina: “I’d like a black coffee, please.”

Me: “A black coffee?”

Nina: “What?”

Me: “No, no, nothing, be right back with that.”

_The last time I saw Nina she was a little middle schooler. The years go by so fast… And as I have such a thought, I sound like I’m a hundred years old. Great._

Hyun: “How’s it going? Everything OK?”

Me: “So far, I haven’t burned the coffee, so I must not being too badly.”

Clemence: “What??!”

_I hadn’t seen her putting bottles away under the counter._

Me: “It was a joke, Clemence!”

Clemence: “I can’t believe this kid! If I smell the slightest smoke fumes around here, I’ll hold you responsible!”

With that she went back to the kitchen, leaving me speechless in front of Hyun.

Me: “I swear… I was joking!”

Hyun: “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, she knows it too.”

Me: “Doesn’t sound like it.”

Hyun: “Sure she does, believe me, she’s teasing you.”

_Hyun keeps telling me that, but exactly how long is this going to last? It’s not a good way to test me; instead, it has a tendency to make me lose my self-confidence._

Hyun: “So, did you need something?”

Me: “Yes! A black coffee and a hot chocolate to go, please.”

_I’m worrying about every move I make now. I get the impression she can always pop up anytime anywhere._

Hyun tackled the job easily. You can tell he knows the place by heart. He could do it blindfolded. He set the two steaming cups down on the counter and I rushed to carry them away before Clemence came back.

Me: “Here you go, Nina.”

Nina: “No, the coffee was for me.”

Yeleen: “And the hot chocolate for me! Is there not another, slightly better server around?”

_For pity’s sake, let Yeleen not talk so loud, Clemence is going to end up showing up again._

Nina: “It’s her first day, show a little indulgence!”

 _And now it’s a high schooler who is taking my defence. Great. Clemence is putting so much pressure on me, I’m getting totally flustered._ I wanted to switch the two cups and I tripped from going at it too fast. I split a few drops of chocolate on Yeleen’s table and knocked over two chairs while I was at it. She glared at me, but didn’t make a comment, for once. _For sure, I have to manage my clumsiness; it’s turning into a problem. I have to go get a sponge quick before Clemence sees it._

Yeleen: “Wait, you dropped this.”

_Yeleen is waving the poster of Castiel’s concert. I had folded it and put it in my pocket before leaving this morning…_

Me: “Yeah, thanks…”

I held out my hand to get it back. But she moved it out of my reach to keep me from getting it back.

Yeleen: “You listen to Crowstorm?”

Me: “ **Give me back my poster.** ”

Yeleen: “I never thought you enjoyed that kind of music.”

Me: “Well… Yes.”

Yeleen: “Is there a part of you that has good musical tastes then?”

Me: “Just give me back my poster.”

Yeleen: “Here it is. I don’t need yours, Cass gave me one several months ago.”

Me: “‘Cass’?”

Yeleen: “Yes, the singer. His name is Castiel. He is adorable.”

Me: “Uh…” (‘Cass’?  ‘Adorable?’)

Yeleen: “Even if it took a while, thanks anyway for the hot chocolate.”

On these words she put some money on the table and left.

I headed towards the bar counter. _Remind me why_ _I came back inside, again? I’m thinking back on the scene that just took place. Does Yeleen really know him? It seems weird to me, she’s not the kind of girl to hang out with the Castiel that I know… I mean that I knew. After all, it’s none of my business. Gone is the Tetrakys who meddled in everything. That’s no longer me._

Hyun: “Uh… You OK? You’ve been staring into space for five minutes without saying anything.”

Me: “ **It’s nothing… just some girl in my class who always ends up interfering in my life.** ”

Hyun: “Doesn’t look like it’s ‘nothing’. You look worried… You want to talk about it?”

Me: “ **There is this girl, Yeleen who’s in class with me… she’s messing up the start of my school year big time.** ”

Hyun: “What exactly is happening to affect you so much?”

Me: “Well… she’s attending class with me, but she’s also my roommate. And there, I learn that she knows people that I am more or less close to.”

Hyun: “It’s a small town, everyone knows each other… But I get it.”

Me: “Yes and…”

Right then is when Clemence showed up. She looked at Hyun then me.

Clemence: “Please stop distracting Hyun!”

Me: “B-but, I…”

And all of a sudden I remembered the reason why I had come into the café. _The sponge, the knocked over chairs! I had left everything the way it was. It’s not that big of a deal, but I’m sure it’s enough for Clemence to fly off the handle._

Clemence: “Aren’t there any customers outside?”

Me: “Just one.”

Clemence: “Right, so mind telling me why aren’t you outside?”

Me: “I’m on my way right now!”

I leaned over the bar counter and grabbed a sponge quick. As I turned around, I saw that Clemence had gone out.

Clemence: “Tetrakys!!! What is this mess?”

I turned pale. I gave Hyun a look of distress and rushed outside.

Clemence: “There are knocked-over chairs! There’s chocolate on the table! And you’ve barely been here 10 minutes!”

Me: “Yeah, I’m sorry, I’m going to straighten everything up right away.”

Clemence: “I sure hope so! I can’t believe this kid. This takes the cake.”

Me: “’Kid’?”

With that, she went back inside mumbling inaudible complaints. _I always feel like I’m being scolded like a child, and it’s my first day. Remind me again why I took this job…?_ Then Hyun came out, walked over to me and helped me pick up the chairs. _I don’t feel good, I get the impression I was really not made for this._

Hyun: “Don’t worry, she’ll get over it. She’s testing you.”

Me: “You keep telling me that!”

Hyun: “Well, it’s true. It’s her personality.”

Me: “ **You think so? I do everything wrong…** ”

Hyun: “You’re going to get used to it and she’ll get over it.”

Me: “Yeah, but when? Because it just increases the pressure and gets me flustered…”

Hyun: “I’ll talk to her this afternoon.”

Me: “I can’t spend every single one of my workdays in this atmosphere; I’ll end up exploding.”

Hyun: “She does it on purpose to see if you can stand the pressure; it’ll blow over.”

I didn’t add a thing, annoyed by Clemence behaviour regarding me… I just took the sponge. Hyun went back inside after we finished straightening everything up.

Nina: “She’s no easy to deal with for sure.”

Me: “Not easy, you got that right…”

Nina: “Well, I’m headed out.”

Me: “ **OK, I enjoyed seeing you again.** ”

Nina: “Me too, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.”

She smiled at me then started rummaging through her pockets.

Nina: “Hey… Think you could cover me for the coffee? I hadn’t noticed but I don’t have my billfold.”

Me: “ **It’s on me this time around.** ”

Nina: “Thanks!”

Me: “Sure.”

Nina left the café and other customers came and sat down. I managed not to screw up any more the rest of the day. I didn’t work part of the afternoon. Clemence has to lighten up my schedule to abide by my contract. And I started up again a little later in the late afternoon. Hyun and I didn’t have time to talk again… And Clemence just gave me harsh looks when I passed by her, but I didn’t get subjected to a single remark more. _It’s going to be closing time soon._ I went back in the kitchen.

Hyun: “We can close the café now.”

Me: “Yeah, what a day, my legs are numb from all the coming and going.”

Hyun: “For sure, people don’t realise it much, but waiting tables is actually pretty physical.”

Clemence stuck her head through the door right then.

Clemence: “Tetrakys, you aren’t paid to distract Hyun.”

_Obviously it’s always my fault. I didn’t even bother to react. In the end, maybe Hyun was right, you get used to it._

Hyun: “It’s my fault, I was just telling her I was going to show her what to do when it’s closing time.”

Hyun’s taking my defence… What I told him earlier sunk in… I smiled at him shyly.

Clemence: “Well… anyway, I know what young girls her age have on their mind.”

Me: “What??” I wiped the smile off my face right away.

Clemence: “Don’t contradict me. I was your age once. And it’s hard not to fall for Hyun’s charm, I’m capable of understanding, believe me.”

_It’s definitely not me Hyun should be careful about. Hyun doesn’t look very comfortable._

Hyun: “Ma’am, we… we’re going to close the café.”

Clemence: “For the umpteenth time, Hyun dear, Cle-mence, not Ma’am, you make me feel old, sweetheart.”

_‘Sweetheart?’_

Clemence: “So Tetrakys, listen closely to what Hyun says; you might have to close the café alone if one of us were sick.”

Me: “Y-yes Ma’am.”

Clemence: “Have a nice evening, Hyun.”

Clemence winked at him before shutting the door.

_So now, everything has gotten very clear. In fact Clemence has a huge crush on him. That explains quite a few things._

Hyun: “So follow me outside, I’m going to explain stuff to you.”

He headed out right away. Hyun straightened up the tables and chairs outside. Then closed the café doors, leaving the keys in the lock of the door, inside.

Hyun: “So… How about a beer? It would do me a world of good.”

Me: “ **Now?** ”

Hyun: “Yes, we’ve finished our shift.”

Me: “I’m surprised, you seem so… Serious in everyday life.”

Hyun: “People can be serious and need to let off steam after a day of work; that’s not incompatible.”

Me: “Yes, that’s true.”

Hyun: “So do you want a beer or not? It’s my treat, since from what I understand you’ve had a long day…”

Me: “Thanks.”

Hyun: “The day felt especially long to me.”

Me: “I agree. It was unusual.”

Hyun: “Things went more smoothly with Clemence for the rest of the day, didn’t they?”

Me: “Yes, much better. Did you talk to her?”

Hyun: “I told her it’d be a pity to deprive herself of someone who really wanted to work. She knows she isn’t easy to get along with. Plus not many people applied. So when we find a real gem, we hang onto it.”

Me: “ **A real gem? Me? He’s kidding. I’m the queen of clumsiness.** ”

Hyun: “A real gem for not having run off right from the trial run!”

Me: “Oh right, now I get what you mean.”

Hyun: “But it’s good that you’re realistic about your weaknesses.”

Me: “Yeah, haha. Thanks for the support.”

Hyun: “You’re welcome!”

He winked at me before taking a gulp of his beer.

Me: “By the way, we didn’t get to finish our conversation earlier. What year are you in at the university?”

Hyun: “I’m in my last year, like you.”

Me: “Oh right, and do you have an apartment in town?”

Hyun: “No, I’m on campus.”

Me: “Like me!”

Hyun: “Yep, but I’m sure your roommate isn’t as off-the-wall as mine.”

Me: “Believe me, I wish she were just ‘off-the-wall’.”

Hyun: “Oh really? Mine is a student who spends his time scribbling in a notebook. We’ve only said three words to each other since we met. I get the impression he doesn’t want to talk much… I’ve been looking for a way to connect with him, but he never looks up from his notebooks…”

Me: “Maybe he’s shy or just really passionate about what he’s doing.”

Hyun: “Yeah… that’s true.”

Me: “Is he in media and communications, too?”

Hyun: “Guess not since I don’t see him in my classes… But I don’t even know what his major is, since we don’t talk… The only thing I know is that he spends pretty much time getting lost down hallways..”

_That reminds me of someone!_

Me: “What’s his name?”

Hyun: “Uh…”

Me: “Would it happen to be Morgan by any chance?”

Hyun: “Yes! That’s definitely it. Do you know him?”

Me: “Not really.”

_Hyun is his roommate! I have to find a way for him and Alexy to meet! Geez, listening to me, I’m starting to sound like Rosa…_

Hyun: “Not really but you know his name?”

**_Alexy wouldn’t like me to tell everyone that he really ‘fell’ for Morgan… Especially since Hyun might mention it to Morgan…_ **

Me: “He was lost, we talked a couple of seconds.”

Hyun: “Oh right. Nothing that could tell me more about him… I guess it’ll come over time.”

Me: “Yeah, for sure.”

_I’m thinking back about my room awaiting me on campus with Yeleen in it… I really have no desire to go there…_

Hyun: “Wow, I hadn’t noticed the time! Someone’s waiting for me, I really have to go!”

Faster than lightening Hyun grabbed my empty glass from my hands as well as his and put everything down in the sink.

Hyun: “Sorry!”

He handed me my coat and bag that I had left behind the bar.

Hyun: “The alarm is set! We have two minutes to get out of here!”

I rushed out into the street.

Hyun: “I’m really sorry, it’s a bit abrupt of me. I don’t want to be late. I promised my family that I would be on time for our Skype date. It’s our way of keeping in touch… It was far from my intention to throw you out.”

Me: “Yes, I understand, don’t worry.”

_It’s rather cute. It seems really important to him._

Hyun: “Thanks! Have a nice evening! I’ll text you for your next work hours. Clemence will tell me.”

Me: “Very well, thanks.”

He smiled and skipped away.

_Brr, it’s cold. I love rainy nights, but only when I’m warm and in bed listening to the raindrops hitting the window. I won’t lose a minute. I’ll run home to my warm sheets._

_Geez, it’s cold out… It’s pouring rain! It’s wild how some places I town aren’t lit up like this, and I have to go this way to get back on campus. I think back about the guys that hassled me the first night… This time they won’t let me go, there’s no Nath anywhere around… Why do I always have to imagine the worst-case scenarios… Everything’s going to be fine, in 5 minutes I’m nice and warm under my comforter. Still, I walked fast, despite myself._ At the end of the alley, I made out a silhouette that stood out in the darkness. I stopped on the spot. _It’s a man’s build. The alley is so narrow we’re going to brush against each other… He could press me against a wall, I wouldn’t be able to escape… And with the pouring rain, even if I scream, no one will hear me! I have to stop imagining the worst! It might just be someone on his way home. Like me._ Despite myself, I felt the same anxiety as when the guy had grabbed me by the wrist the first night. _My legs started shaking, I’m incapable of being rational. And that silhouette moving towards me…_ **I folded my arms across my chest, lowered my eyes, and picked up the pace.** As I get closer to the silhouette, I clench my fists, ready to reach if anything whatsoever were to happen. We were getting closer to each other… I stepped to the side right when we were going to cross paths… My nails were digging into the palm of my hand.

Rayan: “Evening, is everything OK?”

Me: “Oh my gosh!”

I let out a swear word before getting a grip on myself…

Rayan: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Me: “No, no, it’s not your fault! Good-afternoon, I mean evening.”

Rayan: “Oh yes I did, I can tell I scared you to death; you’re as white as a sheet.”

Me: “No, no, it’s just me, I wasn’t feeling safe in this alley; and I didn’t recognise you.”

I was doing my best to catch my breath. My heart was beating like crazy.

Rayan: “For sure, I totally believe you. It’s really dark here and it’s pouring. How come you’re coming home alone in the rain?”

Me: “I’m coming home from work. My part-time job…”

Rayan: “Oh, are you working near campus? That’s all to your credit.”

Me: “Well… It’s kind of thanks to you.”

Rayan: “Really?”

Me: “On registration day, you were the one who told me about a job vacancy at the Cosy Bear Café. I hadn’t had the chance to tell you sooner, but thanks. Today was my first day.”

Rayan: “Thanks, but the only person you owe is yourself. You seized the opportunity, and aced it.”

Me: “I confess I’m kind of reassured that you’re the one I ran into.”

Rayan: “True, this alley isn’t the least bit reassuring…”

Me: “I definitely agree.”

Me: “ **So I’m not going to hang around…** ”

Rayan: “Yes, of course, I won’t keep you. Be careful.”

Me: “Thank you, sir. Have a nice evening.”

I folded my arms across my chest and took off again right away, at a jog.

Rayan: “Tetrakys?”

He called out at me from far off.

Me: “Yes?”

Rayan: “Are you sure… I mean, are you going to be OK walking home alone? I wouldn’t want for…”

Me: “Oh, yes, th-thanks, I’m the one with too much imagination.”

Rayan: “Right… I’m counting on you. I want to see you in my class on Friday.”

Me: “Of course! See you Friday.”

I ran toward the campus gates.

_My shoes are totally soaked. Quick! A hot shower!_

_I tiptoed in, Yeleen is listening to music, her headphones over her ears, she’s tapping on her smartphone…_ She didn’t look my way when I walked in. I headed straight for the bathroom to shower and change clothes. Once back in the room, and finally lying in bed, I realised how much my feet and calves hurt. _What a day… I didn’t even get a chance to rest or see Rosalya and Alexy._ I wanted to pick up a book, but I dozed off before even reaching out my arm to get it…

 

 

Part 2 – Rosa comes up with a plan

Woken up by my ringing phone, I reach out blindly to try and pick it up off my dresser. I have a rough time waking up. I end up touching clumsily with my fingers and almost make it fall. I answer without looking.

Rosa: “What are you doing?! You didn’t answer my text yesterday and we didn’t see each other all day. I didn’t think you had class!”

Me: “Rosa? I-I’m sleeping.”

Rosa: “Still! Get up! I’m on my way to meet Alexy”

Me: “O-OK… Where are you?”

Rosa: “We’re going to… Alexyyyyy I’m over here! Gotta go, he’s looking all over for me. We’ll wait for you, OK?”

Me: “Sure, but where are you?”

Beeep!

 _That Rosa. I wonder where she finds so much energy in the morning._ I got up, not without some difficulty, and got dressed fast to go meet up with them. _I don’t see them anywhere… they must have gone into town. Well, I hope I’m not wrong about where I’m supposed to meet them._

Rosa: “It’s about time!”

Me: “You hung up before telling me where you were! It took me a while to find you.”

Alexy: “In the park, of course. Doesn’t that bring back memories?”

Me: “True, we spent a lot of time here, back then…”

Rosa: “That’s for sure.”

Me: “Neither of you has class this morning?”

Rosa: “No, but we have our self-help class in early afternoon.”

Me: “Oh right, I’m going to it, too.”

Alexy: “Great, so we can all eat together beforehand.”

Me: “That suits me.”

Rosa: “That leaves us time to find a plan of attack.”

Me: “A plan of attack? For?”

Alexy: “For Morgan, Rosalya won’t let it go.”

Me: “Oh, that reminds me! My co-worker at the café, Hyun, is his roommate!”

Rosa: “What?! Why didn’t you tell me that right away on the phone?!”

Me: “I was sleeping Rosalya…”

Rosa: “So what? Tell us everything! Do they know each other well?”

Me: “Not really… Morgan is the shy type apparently.”

Alexy: “Did you talk to Hyun about me?”

Me: “No. I wouldn’t have dared.”

Alexy: “OK, thanks, I appreciate that. I wouldn’t want it to happen that way.”

Me: “For sure, I understand.”

Rosa: “But still we have to find a way to…”

Me: “Right. But I don’t see how…”

Rosa: “I know!”

Alexy: “I’m expecting the worst…”

Me: “What’s your idea?”

Rosa: “Tetrakys, you can organise a party!”

Me: “A party? Me?”

Alexy: “Yeah, that’s what she said.”

Me: “But, but, but…”

Rosa: “You have no excuse to say no!”

Me: “But I hardly know Hyun. I don’t really see myself inviting him to a mixer.”

Alexy: “You can use your new job as a pretext for a drink.”

Me: “Right, but I don’t see why Morgan would come. He and Hyun practically never talk…”

Rosa: “There’s no way, Tetrakys! So close to our goal, you have to find a solution!”

Me: “I’ll give it some thought..”

Alexy: “Rosalya, that’s all you’ve got on the brain, I swear. Are you bored with Leigh? You sure are interested in my love life.”

Rosalya stopped hopping up and down. Her smile left her face…

Rosa: “No, everything’s fine.”

Alexy: “Are you sure? Did I say something wr…?”

Me: “Rosa? You OK?”

Rosa: “Fine. I assure you everything’s fine with Leigh.”

She picked up her handbag, slipped it over her shoulder and gave us a smile that seemed forced to me.

Rosa: “Come on, let’s go eat.”

Alexy gave me a questioning look. That worried me… _Usually Rosalya is really expressive, she confides in us easily._

Me: “ **What’s going on, Rosa? Are you two still together?** ”

Rosa: “Of course we’re still together! Leigh and I we’re like Romeo and Juliette or Rapunzel and her chameleon, inseparable! Come on let’s go eat.”

Rosa slipped her arms around our shoulders and dragged us out of the park gate.

 

As we went by the café, Rosalya stopped dead in her tracks.

Rosa: “How about we sit down here? It’ll bring back good memories!”

Alexy: “I don’t think they serve lunch…”

Me: “Right, and I don’t really want to run into my boss.”

Rosa: “Don’t worry. I’ll go buy us sandwiches and that way we can have a drink at the same time!”

Me: “But Rosa, I’m not really comfortable with the idea of seeing Clemence.”

Rosa: “She can’t make you feel guilty! You’re not working today, you’re not going to stop coming here for drinks seeing as we’re already limited by how few cafés there are in this town!”

With that, she pulled out two chairs and forced me and Alexy to sit down.

Rosa: “Excuse me! Could we get 3 lemonades, please?”

Hyun: “Hello! Yes, of course, I’ll be right there.”

Hyun just stuck his head out of the café, he hasn’t seen me yet.

Rosa: “I’ll be right back! I’m going to get sandwiches.”

No sooner said than done, she was out of sight and headed downtown.

Alexy: “When Rosa comes up with an idea, there’s no stopping her…”

Me: “Yep…”

We hardly had time to make a little small talk and enjoy the sun that was worming our skin before Rosalya was already back.

Rosa: “I ran like crazy!”

Me: “Rosaaaa, do we really have to eat here? I feel like I spend my life here.”

Hyun: “And is that a problem?”

 _Leave it to me to stick my foot in my mouth._ I blushed and shrunk down in my chair.

Me: “Oh Hyun. My friends insisted on coming here to eat… Sorry to add to your workload… Especially at this time of day, there’s already a pretty big crowd.”

Alexy: “My ‘friends? Rosa insisted, you mean?”

Hyun: “No, no problem, it’s the best place to enjoy the sun. You’re right.”

Me: “Thanks Hyun.”

Rosa: “Tetrakys has told us a lot about you! So you’re a university student, too?”

_A lot?_

Me: “Uh Rosa…”

Hyun: “Oh yeah, really? Well… yes, I’m a student, too.”

Rosa: “We’ve never run into each other until now! It’d be nice to get to know each other better.”

Hyun: “U-uh… Sure.”

He went back inside the café.

Me: “Rosa, what game are you playing?”

Rosa: “You forgot to tell us how cute your coworker was.”

Me: “ **He most likely is, but he’s my coworker above all.** ”

Rosa: “A coworker who’s the same age and goes to the same university as you…”

Me: “Well, yes, I don’t see it like that. I’m trying to concentrate on no screwing up anymore in this café. I think I’ve done my share.”

Rosa: “I’m convinced that he has already considered the idea, if you want my opinion.”

Me: “Rosa… I don’t know what you’re getting at, but don’t get me into a tricky situation.”

Rosa: “Come on, you know me! I won’t do anything without your consent.”

Alexy: “Well yes… Or else she’ll do anything to get your consent.”

Rosalya stifled a laugh with her fist. That’s precisely when Hyun chose to come back to our table. He set the bill down on the table, smiling shyly.

Rosa: “By the way, Hyun? That’s your name right, Hyun?”

Hyun: “Uh, yes… that’s right.”

He’s bright red. Rosalya is seriously taking action… And at the same time, I realise that in the face of a beauty like Rosa’s, people remain kind of speechless…

Rosa: “Tetrakys wants to celebrate the start of her new job, want to join us?”

 _Flat out? Like that? I don’t know if I should be in admiration or scared she’ll go too far. That girl is afraid of nothing._ Hyun gave me a look of surprise, and turned back to Rosa.

Hyun: “Yes, of course, sure, I’d love to.”

Rosa: “Great, she’ll keep you posted.”

_I can’t believe it, I couldn’t even get a word in edgewise. Rosalya is really incredible._

Hyun: “Great, I’ll look forward to that then… Sorry, I have other costumers to wait on. Have a nice day.”

Hyun walked off, and turned around several times towards our table as if he was thinking about what had just happened.

Me: “Geez Rosa! You sound like my mother the first time she organised a party for my 10th birthday. All the kids I had never dared talking to, she did the inviting for me. You just made me relieve one of the most shameful events of my childhood.”

Rosa: “No pain, no gain!”

Me: “What about you Alexy, you aren’t saying anything?”

Alexy: “Me? I’ve known for a long time that the woman is uncontrollable.”

Rosa: “The ball’s in your court now Tetrakys. Find a way to invite Morgan to the party.”

Me: “As if it were easy.”

Rosa: “I just managed to invite a total stranger to your place for a party that you are supposed to organise, right? Anything’s possible.”

Me: “But I don’t feel as comfortable with people as you do, Rosa.”

Rosa: “Of course you do. You have it in you. Call on all your charms.”

Rosalya winked at me. I don’t know exactly what she’s implying by ‘all my charms’. But I don’t think Hyun is the kind of guy to let himself be taken advantage of easily.

Alexy: “I confess I never say no to a good party!”

Me: “Thanks for the help!”

Alexy: “Now that you’re back among us, I’m no longer the only one to be subjected to Rosa’s wacky ideas. We’re sharing, sweetheart!”

Rosa: “I thought that’s what you liked most about me.”

Rosalya put on a falsely angry face.

Alexy: “Well yes… Except at times… With you, we have to hold on tight.”

Rosa: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

A smile rose at the corner of her lips. She glanced at him and all three of us burst out laughing. We kept talking about one thing or another as we finished our sandwiches. Then Rosa put her hand on my shoulder and lowered her tone so only Alexy and I could hear her.

Rosa: “There’s half an hour left before the class starts. The café is practically empty; Hyun must be more available to talk. Go on, we’ll meet up with you in class.”

Me: “What do you mean ‘go on’? What exactly do you want me to do??”

Rosa: “Well, organise your party! I’ve already done the hardest part.”

Me: “What?!”

Alexy: “Don’t worry if you don’t succeed. It’d be nice to meet Morgan, he intrigues me, but not to the extent of forcing my friends to organise parties on fishy pretexts.”

Rosa: “Don’t listen to Alexy! We’re going to throw a great party and have a blast.”

Me: “Oh, you’re a hell of a lot of help, you two!”

Alexy: “Well… At the risk of repeating myself: I never say no to a party-”

Me: “Haha, really thanks a lot, you two.”

Rosa: “Maybe you can take the opportunity to get to know Hyun better?”

With that, they picked up their stuff and let me alone at the table. I went into the café.

Me: “Sorry to bother you… I…”

Hyun: “Oh, don’t worry, you’re not bothering me, I’m almost done. Clemence should be here soon to take over.”

Me: “ **I get the impression you spend your life here, but you’re a student like me.** ”

Hyun: “That’s true, I get that feeling too. I need the money so I told Clemence to give me as many shifts as possible.”

Me: “ **I couldn’t spend so much time here. On top of classes, it’d be enough to drive me crazy.** ”

Hyun: “For sure, I understand. It’s just a question of getting organised actually. I have a goal, and I’m sticking to it.”

Me: “True.”

Hyun: “I really want to travel in Asia. That’s why I’m working here. One day I’ll treat myself to the trip.”

The expression on his face was one I’d never seen before.

Me: “I totally get that! I’m fascinated by all of Asia – the culture is so different from ours, that makes me want to go.”

Hyun: “Really? Lots of people tend to get stuck on themselves and like their little comforts. And then there’s me, the first chance I get, I’ll grab my backpack and tour the world!”

He said that in a cheerful, almost singsong, voice.

Me: “Oh, it sounds like it really means a lot to you, for sure!”

Hyun: “Is it that obvious?”

Me: “Yep, sure is.”

Hyun: “Sorry, I get carried away.”

Me: “No, no… Don’t change a thing.”

That came out all by itself… But up until now, I had only seen the nice, hardworking Hyun. His laid-back side is… surprising.

Me: “In any case, I hope my friends didn’t cause you any trouble earlier.”

Hyun: “Trouble? Not at all. They seem…”

Me: “Annoying?”

Hyun: “No, I was going to say interesting.”

Me: “Oh!”

Hyun: “Yeah, It sounded like Rosalya invited me for you.”

I felt the red rising in my cheeks and warming my skin.

Me: “No! I was going to do it, but, she… how can I explain.”

Hyun: “Made the first move?”

Me: “Exactly. That’s it.”

Hyun: “But you were planning on it?”

Me: “Yes, of course, I mean, it’s partly thanks to you that I got the job.”

Hyun: “It’s nice of you to say that, but it’s mainly because you didn’t run away after being confronted with Clemence.”

Me: “Ha ha, but it’s because you knew how to show me the bright side of things.”

Hyun: “I’m glad it worked.”

Me: “And so… For this party…”

Hyun: “I’m listening. When do you want to have it?”

Me: “I don’t really know… Are you free anytime?”

Hyun: “Well… I’m free all the time…”

Me: “Hmm… could we do it tonight?”

Hyun: “Whoa! When you organise a party, you get right to business.”

Me: “Might as well take the opportunity as soon as possible.”

Hyun: “You’re right, might as well.”

Me: “So… there’ll be a few of my friends.”

Hyun: “I figured as much, yeah.”

Me: “ **If you want to invite some people, that could be fun. You know, the more, the merrier.** ”

Hyun: “Thanks! I don’t know who yet… But I’ll think about it. Where’re you going to have it?”

_Um… now, that’s a helluwa good question._

Me: “Uh… I was thinking of the neighbourhood bar.”

Hyun: “They are closed, exceptionally.”

Me: “Oh, really?”

Hyun: “Really. I know ‘cuz Clemence keeps repeating like crazy how there’s no competition this week, so we should grab the chance to get as much customer loyalty as possible.”

Me: “Oh, OK. Darn. That doesn’t leave me with a lot of options… In my dorm room is out of the question; my roommate would most likely call the police or shoot me on the spot.”

Hyun: “That bad?”

Me: “Obviously you haven’t met her yet…”

Me: “ **In your dorm room?** ”

Hyun: “Well…”

_I invite myself to his place shamelessly. I definitely have things to sort out as far as work relationships go._

Hyun: “I would’ve liked to say yes, but I don’t feel comfortable with the idea considering I haven’t talked to Morgan a single time, that might be a bit much at once.”

Me: “Yeah, you’re right, I totally understand.”

Hyun: “Are you sure you can’t do it in your room?”

Me: “I would’ve liked to avoid a heated argument with Yeleen.”

Hyun: “Yeleen?”

Me: “My notorious roommate.”

Hyun: “Just invite her to the party…”

Me: “Hmm…”

Hyun: “She’s a student like us, I’m sure getting thrown out of her room would get her more irritated than being invited.”

Me: “Well… your theory remains to be proved.”

Hyun: “Try! You never know.”

Me: “I’ll try if you try with Morgan, too.”

Hyun: “Hmm… OK.”

_As if I were going to invite Yeleen to a friendly gathering._

Hyun: “At worst, if the party can’t happen, there’s a concert next week. I don’t know if you’re in the loop… Maybe you haven’t heard, since you just arrived in town. I’m talking about the band Crowstorm, pretty well known in the area.”

Me: “Oh, yes, I know.” _Geez, is everyone around really hooked on this band or what?_

Hyun: “And so, I was wondering. I mean, I don’t know if you…”

Me: “What…?”

Hyun: “You want us to go together?”

Me: “ **No sorry, I don’t know what I’m doing that night yet…** ”

Hyun: “No problem, I understand… Maybe we’ll run into each other there anyway.”

Me: “Yeah…”

Hyun: “In any case, keep me posted for the party at your place, OK?”

I nodded, then pulled out my phone to see the time. _I still have some time before my class starts!_

Me: “So, I’m going to try to find an outfit for tonight.”

Hyun: “Uh… Still, don’t forget to tell your roomie before throwing a party!”

Me: “Haha, for sure, at worst, if she refuses, I’ll hopefully have other chances to wear new clothes.”

Hyun: “Anyway, so see you tonight maybe.”

Me: “That works for me. I’ll keep you posted.”

 

I headed into town. _I don’t have anything cute to wear; I need to find something. I don’t see Leigh in the shop. Maybe it’s his day-off… None of the sales people I know are around…_ I made a quick tour of the shop… and in no time spotted several outfits I liked for tonight. _Hmm… I can’t make up my mind._ I chose a short blue skirt with a badass black leather jacket. _Perfect! Now let’s just hope I can make the party happen…_ After spending the morning around Clemence… I realise how badly I need to let off some steam. When I was at the register paying, I noticed the time. _I kind of overdid it… I only have a few minutes left to make it to class!_ I crossed the courtyard at full speed!

The class started just minutes ago. Miss Paltry watched me as I went to find a seat. Priya ended up waving at me to come and sit next to her. I whispered softly as I took out some paper and a pen.

Me: “Thanks. I ran like crazy but still got here late.”

Priya: “Perfect timing, she was just saying she wouldn’t put up with tardiness.”

I shut up quick and turned to look at Miss Paltry. She didn’t make a comment but her gaze was enough to get me refocused on class right away.

Missy Paltry: “So as I was saying before: Today we’re going to get right into the heart of the matter. There’s no school for tolerance and yet it should set the tempo for our everyday life. To sum things up, this is a class that teaches us to break the silence. Talking can get us out of lots of situations.”

_What does she want us to talk about…?_

Missy Paltry: “Since this is the first class, I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position. I’m going to pick the topic.”

_Phew… I didn’t want to suggest a topic aloud like last time._

Missy Paltry: “We’re going to talk about politicians…”

A barely audible wave of protest rose among the students.

Missy Paltry: “Well! You’re adults now! If you aren’t already interested in the topic, it’s high time you were.”

_The course is likely to bore us to death…_

Missy Paltry: “You didn’t let me finish. The topic is Men in power, can we criticise everything? And in any way we want?”

She had written the topic nice and big on the board at the front of the lecture hall.

Missy Paltry: “That’s the only thing I’m going to write during the course. The rest is done orally.”

I guy I didn’t know stood up and said that obviously we could say anything we wanted to because that’s what makes up our freedom of speech.

Chani: “I agree pretty much… If we didn’t have that freedom, we all would’ve been arrested a long time ago.”

_I admire Chani and how she always has a ready answer. She doesn’t think twice about giving her opinion in class._

Missy Paltry: “And do you think that’s the case everywhere? For example, has anyone here ever held their tongue, out of fear of being judged or afraid of retaliation?”

Me: “ **We can say what we think, so long as we do it with respect.** ”

Missy Paltry: “Interesting, so in a way, you hold back.”

Me: “No, not really…”

Missy Paltry: “But yes, you specified ‘so long as you do it with respect’.”

Me: “I just think that no matter the criticism, it should be done with respect.”

Priya: “And when the government doesn’t respect us, should we do it back, whatever the circumstances?”

Priya surprised me. She said that without standing up, and staring at the table.

Me: “Well I don’t know, I admit that I’ve never been confronted with the question, Priya…”

Priya: “It’s not your fault Tetrakys, rest assured. But that’s exactly the problem…”

Priya sneaked a look at me; she was acting really serious.

Priya: “No one knows what you’re talking about.”

I was caught off guard by Priya who lightly banged her fist on the table as she looked at Miss Paltry.

Missy Paltry: “Miss? Please, say what you think. This class is meant for that. Speak up if you disagree.”

Priya’s staring at the table. Her knuckles are white from tightening her fist so much… I whispered softly.

Me: “Priya… Are you OK…?”

Priya: “Ma’am, your question is stupid!”

Everyone turned around to look at Priya, and Miss Paltry’s jaw practically dropped.

Missy Paltry: “Excuse me?”

Priya: “I’m sure the majority of the people here don’t understand the crux of the issue. You’re talking as if it were a light topic.”

Next to Priya I’ve shrunk farther and farther down in my seat…

Missy Paltry: “Not at all, it’s a real issue. I’m raising it seri…”

Priya: “If you criticise your president right here and now, what’s going to happen?”

No one dares answer.

Priya: “I’ll tell you what: Nothing because you’re protected, nothing because you’re not in a Tarantino movie. Nothing because people fought for the right to speak their minds freely and now you’re benefitting from their courage. But it isn’t a luxury everyone gets.”

All of a sudden, Priya stood up.

Priya: “My parents and I fled our native country our whole life, pursued by a government that wanted to hush up an incriminating story.”

_What? I thought Priya and her parents had just moved because of her parent’s jobs…_

Priya: “Now, that’s behind us and I’m free to talk about it. But you have the proof that these are things that don’t just happen to others, or in the movies. And I’m here today to testify that.”

Priya voice was loud and clear; I was the only one to see her hand shaking on the tabletop in front of us…

Priya: “Owning up to your opinion has a price in my country. And I know how lucky we are here.”

Yeleen: “What happened?”

I gave Yeleen a nasty look. But her eyes were set on Priya. In fact, everyone had stopped talking and was watching Priya. Yeleen just asked the question that was burning the lips of everyone in the class…

Priya: “I’m not going to go into details. My parents were fighting for women’s rights in India and for recognising the violence suffered by the country’s women. They found a video that could have brought down a high-placed Parliament member.”

_Her hand is shaking more and more…_

Priya: “Except that the video was never released. Threatened, my family and I had to hide for several years. The whole ordeal has only been over for a year.”

_I wasn’t aware of any of that… I know very little about her in the end… I’ve hung out with her since high school… And not until now did I learn all this. All these years, she kept quiet…_

Priya: “To get back to the topic, freedom of speech is crucial and must be protected but don’t take it for granted.”

With that Priya sat back down amidst the heavy silence that reigned. All the students’ eyes were on Priya. Miss Paltry remained speechless for a few seconds before speaking again.

Missy Paltry: “T-thanks for sharing your experience with us, young lady.”

Priya didn’t say a thing.

Missy Paltry: “It was very… Interesting, intense as well. Please feel free to come see me at the end of class if you want to talk more about it in peace and quiet. That’s why I set up this class. You’re going to learn more about yourself, and others. You’re going to do some soul-searching, about yourself and others. This may also bring back painful memories… You’re each free to decide whether you share or not. Thanks again young lady.”

I turned to face Priya… Her lower lip was shaking…

Missy Paltry: “Let’s go on. Do you have any facts, or current examples that might illustrate the topic?”

Several hands went up; the classroom hubbub slowly resumed its initial level… Priya was no longer shaking… But she was lost in thought, still staring into space. **I didn’t say a thing, but I lay my hand on Priya’s forearm, to show my support…** She looked up at me, half a second, surprised by my move. And answered me with a joyless smile.

 

[ ](https://ibb.co/bvWZtL)

I understood she no longer wanted to talk about it… All I could do was grant her my silent presence. It seemed to make her feel good. She laid her still shaking hand on mine, just under the table. And we went on listening to the lecture like that. The bell ending the class finally rang. We got up without saying a word. She gave me a smile and left the lecture hall. _Knowing Priya, she’ll talk about it herself when she needs to_. I started following the crowd of students leaving the class.

Missy Paltry: “Wait before going out! Don’t forget to leave a paper with a topic you’d like to discuss during the next class.”

 _That had totally slipped my mind_.

Missy Paltry: “Remember, the suggestions are anonymous, and I’ll choose the next topic from them.”

 _I have no idea… **I am going to suggest ‘School bullying’.** At least I am suggesting a real topic, even if it’s a little basic. We’ll soon see what that leads to. _I rushed to put my paper in Miss Paltry’s box. I saw Alexy and Rosa head out. I ran out the classroom door to catch up with them. _This student lounge is really nice. I should spend more time here._

Rosa: “That class was really… I didn’t realise Priya had been through that… I feel…”

Alexy: “Useless? Personally, I feel like a moron for not having wondered about it before… With her lifestyle, and all the moving, and we didn’t even ask each other about Priya’s life…”

 _I just walked into the lounge but they haven’t noticed me yet_.

Me: “You aren’t the only ones… The class we just had got me all upset… I feel bad knowing that Priya was in that situation for so long without being able to talk to her friends about it… It must’ve been horrible…”

Rosa: “Don’t worry, Priya’s strong. Did you hear how articulate she was in class just now? All that’s behind her.”

Me: “Yeah…”

_Rosa didn’t see the upset Priya who sat back down next to me after her monologue. I had never seen her so vulnerable…_

Alexy: “She know we’ll always be there for her. She’ll turn to us if she needs to.”

Me: “Right… I hope so…”

Alexy: “You, for that matter, were almost late to class!”

Rosa: “Does that happen to mean a party is in the works with Hyun and Morgan?”

Me: “It’s not a done deal… We’re going to have to organise the party in my dorm room, and I have to see if it’s possible with Yeleen…”

Rosa: “Oh, I would’ve offered my place, but now isn’t a good time… Leigh’s relatives are visiting.”

Me: “Is Lysander coming?”

Rosa: “No, no, just distant cousins.”

Me: “Bummer, it would’ve been nice to see him again.”

Rosa: “He’s really busy; I doubt he’ll show up around here anytime soon.”

_Meanwhile, I still don’t have an alternative location for the party._

Alexy: “As for me, if Morgan comes… I’d like it to be in a more neutral setting than my room…”

Rosa: “Right. We wouldn’t want to feel like a third wheel, Alexy.”

Alexy: “No, but you know what I mean, Tetrakys? I’d like for it not to seem like a trap.”

Me: “Sure, I understand Alexy, don’t worry. I’ll talk to Yeleen and keep you posted… By the way Rosa, I didn’t answer your text…”

Alexy: “I’m out of here. I have a class starting soon.”

Alexy took his bag and started rummaging through his pockets frantically.

Alexy: “Noooo!”

Me: “What’s wrong?”

Alexy: “I think I left my phone in the park.”

Me: “What?”

Alexy: “I don’t remember using it in class earlier… Armin’s going to kill me. It was0a birthday present.”

Rosa: “Personally, I have class right now. I won’t have time to go look for it… Sorry, Alexy!”

They both turned to face me. _I have a spare hour before next class…_

Me: “ **I’ll go look for you, Alexy.** ”

Alexy: “Oh thanks Tetrakys! You will have my eternal gratitude if you find it!”

Me: “I sure hope so. That’s the bare minimum.”

Alexy: “I’m out of here. I can’t afford to be late!”

Alexy hugged and kissed me on the cheek before clearing out of the student lounge, with Rosa on his heels.

I went back to the Quad. _Here I go, now all I have to do is take a walk to the park. Just to make sure I look around in case I found it miraculously in this area. No… It doesn’t seem to be here._ I reached the area of the park around the bench where we were sitting earlier today. _His phone doesn’t seem to be here…! Maybe he dropped it when he was walking. Oh darn, might as well have a look around to try to find it._

I found it on the floor in the alley. _Yes, at last! I’m going to make someone happy!_

Chani: “Hi Tetrakys! Are you going to work?”

Me: “No, I was looking for Alexy’s phone. He’s lucky I found it before someone else.”

Chani: “Really lucky for sure. Hey the self-help class was kind of… interesting earlier, wasn’t it?”

Me: “Sure was… you can say that again.”

Chani: “Did you know Priya had been through all that?”

Me: “No… And in a way, I’m mad at myself for not having questioned her about it before…”

Chani: “We all have guilty secrets or things from the past that are hard to talk about.”

Me: “Sure…”

Chani: “So where are you going? Back to campus?”

Me: “Yes.”

Chani: “Well then, I’ll walk with you.”

Me: “Cool!”

Chani stopped walking. She turned to face me.

Chani: “Have you heard of Crowstorm?”

_Here we go again…_

Me: “Yeah. Do you listen to that kind of band, Chani?”

Chani: “Well… It’s not Dimmu Borgir, but it’s still a band that blows you away. I like ‘em.”

Me: “ **That doesn’t surprise coming from Castiel… It’s definitely his style to play music that ‘blows you away’ like you said.** ”

Chani: “Do you know Castiel?!”

Me: “Um… it’s a long story.”

Chani: “I see… So maybe you could introduce him to me?”

Me: “Am I dreaming or is that name all anyone can talk about?”

Chani: “I just like people who have a sense of taste in clothes. I love the way he dresses.”

Me: “No, seriously, he and I haven’t talked in a really long time. So I’m not even sure he’ll recognise my face.”

_That being said, my feelings would be hurt if he doesn’t recognise me. We definitely spent pretty much time together back in high school!._

Chani: “How about going to the concert together?”

Me: “ **Thanks, but may be going with someone else.** ”

Chani: “No problem! So I don’t know if I’m going to go anyway…”

Me: “Sorry…”

Chani: “No, don’t worry. I hope we’ll get another chance.”

Me: “You can count on me Chani!”

_I kind of feel bad… I hope I didn’t hurt Chani’s feelings too much…_

Chani: “I’m going to the library before the medieval and ancient art class later… I can’t wait! See you later, huh?”

Me: “Yikes, I forgot we had that class this afternoon. I’m going to try to stay awake.”

Chani: “It’s one of the most fascinating classes. You’re really missing something.”

Me: “Um… I wouldn’t have said that…”

Chani: “Try to get interested in it at least, you’ll see.”

Me: “Well, yeah… I’m not promising anything.”

Chani: “Meet you in the auditorium. See ya later!”

Me: “See ya later, Chani!”

I walked across the Quad to reach the dormitories.

Nath: “You, here?”

Me: “I’m really the one who should be surprised to see you here!”

Nath: “I enrolled at the university like you, and sometimes I actually come…”

Me: “Except this isn’t the university… just the dormitories. And… as far as I know this hall only goes to the girls’ rooms.”

He ran his left hand through his hair, grinning. Then he started fiddling with one of his ear-piercings.

Nath: “Well, you’re the one I was coming to see. Obviously.”

Me: “ **Well, here I am. What were you coming to tell me?** ”

Nath: “To see how you were doing. I’m just making sure you’re still alive.”

Me: “How nice of you. As you can see, I’m surviving, between my job and days of classes. A routine about as basic as they come.”

Nath: “If you wanna spice up your routine, you know where to find me, Tetrakys. I’d be thrilled to do you the favour.”

Me: “ **Hmm, I manage the dose of spice in my life just fine without you adding your grain of salt.** ”

Nath: “Too bad. You’re missing out on something!”

Me: “More like, YOU are missing out on something.”

Nath: “That’s quite possible.”

Me: “So anyway, I seriously never see you over on the university side of campus… Don’t you go to class at all? Why did you enrol?”

Nath: “It’s the only way I figured out to get the money my parents had saved up for me to ‘study’. I use it to enjoy life a little more.”

Me: “ **After all, we only live once.** ”

Nath: “Exactly. You’re starting to understand what makes me tick. Might there be a rebel behind that pretty little face?”

Me: “You don’t know everything. Some people don’t need to pierce their ears and change their style to lead the life of a rebel.”

Nath: “Ouch, she hit a nerve.”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, making the hem down a couple of inches. I couldn’t keep my eyes from wandering down to his barely visible hips.

Nath: “My eyes are right here, Tetrakys.”

I blushed immediately.

Me: “I-I know. I-I was preoccupied by…”

Nath: “No need to explain.”

My cheeks get hotter and hotter. I must be as red as a beet.

Nath: “Take a deep breath, you’ll be OK.”

 _Geez, Tetrakys, get a hold of yourself! He takes the opportunity to make me uncomfortable._ I breathed in discreetly as I looked the other way for a second. A few seconds went by before I figured out how to bounce back.

Me: “Other than that, what are you up to next week?”

_It’s the first topic that came to mind._

Nath: “Next week? Are you inviting me to the little redheaded rocker’s concert or am I dreaming?”

_I said that, just because, without thinking._

Nath: “Everyone in town will be there. There’s never a good reason to miss a promising night-out. Even if it’s Castiel…”

Me: “Have you been out of touch since high school?”

Nath: “As if he and I had ever been close…”

Me: “True, it was always a little heated between you two, but we all had some good times together, all in all.”

Nath: “I get the impression you and I didn’t live through the same years.”

Me: “You’re exaggerating.”

Nath: “No, not really, high school wasn’t all fun and games for me…”

We looked at each other for a second without saying a word. We don’t need to bring the subject up more to understand each other. _I was there for him when things were rough._ Those painful times came back to me very clearly all of a sudden. He looked away.

Me: “ **And so, are you going to it with someone? I don’t know… We could maybe go together.** ”

Nath: “In any case, I’m going to it… So with or without you, it doesn’t make much of a difference after all.”

Me: “How nice. I definitely don’t want to force you, you know.”

Nath: “Sorry, that was kind of rude. I take it back. It would be a real pleasure to keep you company for that evening, my dear.”

Me: “That’s more like it… OK, so see you next Friday then.”

Nath: “Who knows, maybe we’ll run into each other before then. You’re likely to see me go down these halls from time to time. Maybe one of these days it’ll be coming out of your room.”

Me: “ **Dream on.** ”

Nath: “That works for me. I’m going to continue only thinking about it then.”

Me: “You got it. Be happy with that.”

Nath: “I love it when you give me a hard time. No one has dared to do that in a long time. It’s nice to have someone who stands up to me, finally.”

Me: “If I can help out, it’s my pleasure.”

Nath: “Your cheeks are on fire, Tetrakys, are you sure you’re OK?”

_I can’t believe he’s so haughty._

Nath: “Come to think of it, it wouldn’t be the first time the two of us ended up between the sheets… Right?”

Me: “ **That’s true, after all. Still, doesn’t mean I want to make the same mistake twice.** ”

Nath: “Ouch. You know how to put your finger where it hurts.”

Me: “I know you well.”

Nath: “True… all in all, you know me well.”

Me: “I’ll leave you to your questionable activities in this hallway… I have things to figure out.”

Nath: “Fine… Have a nice day!”

With that, he got into the elevator as he pulled out his phone. And winked at me before the elevator doors closed. _Nathaniel… Things have really changed._

_I still have time before my class this afternoon. I’m going to take the opportunity to see if Yeleen is around. I’m not hoping for much on her behalf… But you never know._

 

 _The room is empty. She isn’t here. It goes without saying that we don’t have each other’s phone numbers. She and I are a far cry from that stage. Whew… I’m going to take a little break. I’ve been running around non-stop since this morning._ I put my bag down, took off my shoes and lay down on my bed. I picked up my phone and connected to YouTube… _I feel like seeing if I can find stuff by Crowstorm_ … Much to my surprise, there are two videos with several thousands of views already. _They’ve really reached a certain level of fame…_ I clicked, too excited to wait for the concert. _I really want to see what Castiel looks like now_. It started with a few piano notes… _I wasn’t expecting that_. Then guitar. And finally Castiel’s voice… That’s definitely him singing. _The music is… awesome! Already back in high school what he was doing with Lysander was excellent… But this… He really has what it takes._ I watched the whole video; Castiel doesn’t appear anywhere in it. There are only actors. I tried another video. This time, the band members are all in it… But the band is playing inside an abandoned house, in the shadows. _Seems like they do everything they can to stay mysterious_. _You can hardly make them out._ The last note ends on a close-up of Castiel’s mouth against the mike… _I definitely saw a strand of red hair but that’s it!_

I was about to search the web for more info about the band when I got a text from Priya. “Hey Tetrakys, do you have class now? Do you want to join me in the break room? I need to talk a bit…” _I guess after what happened in class earlier, Priya is kind of down in the dumps…_ I answered right away: “Yes, still have a little time. On my way!” _I’ll never have time to see Yeleen before tonight. I’m going to have to cancel it I think…_

Right when I was about to leave the dormitory, the door jammed and hit me in the nose.

Me: “Ouch!”

Melody: “Sorry! I didn’t see you. I was coming in at the same time!”

As I massaged my face, I looked at Melody who was picking up the papers that had flown when we collided.

Melody: “Seriously, how clumsy can I get. I’m really sorry. Are you OK? Did you hurt yourself?”

Me: “ **It’s nothing. Don’t worry. Stuff like that happens.** ”

Melody: “Right…”

Melody’s eyes filled up with tears…

Me: “Melo? Is everything OK…?”

Melody: “I… I don’t know. This year, I have too much to do, it must be making me feel all mixed up.”

_I can imagine… with studying, working as an assistant and all the rest… It must not be easy._

Me: “You’re making too big of a deal.”

Melody: “You think so? Yeah, that’s it. I must be putting too much pressure on myself…”

Me: “ **Want to talk about it?** ”

Melody: “That’s sweet, but no thanks… there’s not much to say. I have a lot of things on my plate, that’s all…”

Me: “You should really put things into perspective… I don’t know, go out, do something. It’s just the start of the year. You’re gonna have a meltdown.”

I picked up the last few of her papers that were still on the floor. She sniffled noisily.

Melody: “You’re right… For that matter, I heard Rosa say she was going to make some food for a party you apparently have tonight…”

Me: “Yeah, that’s right…”

Melody: “Do you think that…? I need to take my mind off things.”

_I feel bad about the shape she’s in… I can’t refuse… We’re going to be crammed inside my little room._

Me: “But we’re not even sure it’s going to happen, Melody.”

Melody: “Oh… I see.”

Me: “No, I’m not saying that because of you, I swear, for the time being I still don’t have my roommate’s agreement. It’s supposed to take place in my dorm room… Listen, give me your phone number, and I’ll let you know the time and location.”

Melody: “Oh thanks!”

She recited her number and I put it in my cellphone.

Melody: “Thanks, so I’ll wait for a text from you.”

Me: “ **For sure.** ”

Melody: “Anyway, I’ll let you be on your way, and sorry again. See you tonight!”

Me: “Right, see you tonight.”

_One more person. If things keep going like this, the party is going to end up with the whole darn university._

 

I joined Priya in the break room.

Priya: ”Thanks, it’s nice of you to have come…”

Me: “It’s only normal. I wanted to text you after the class earlier this afternoon… But I didn’t dare.”

Priya: ”You could’ve… I’m sorry if I was a bit disconcerting…”

Me: “Oh, no, you don’t have to justify yourself… If I had known…”

Priya: ”If you had known, what would you have done? Believe me, the best thing to do was to keep it to myself, to protect my family.”

Me: “I can’t believe how you had to live in fear for so long… That must’ve been awful.”

Priya: ”To tell the truth, the worst happened when I was really young. I didn’t realise until later how serious things were. That’s also what drove me to study law.”

Me: “I understand better now…”

Priya: ”There’s so much injustice, ad so many corrupt countries, I really want to focus on international law.”

Me: “You’re really articulate on the topic, I’m sure that’ll suit you.”

Priya: ”Well, anyway… I was kind of withdrawn after class… So, I wanted to apologise.”

Me: “No really, there’s no need, I totally understand.”

Priya: ”In any case, I’m not sure I’ll be able to attend Miss Paltry’s class again after having behaved that way.”

Me: “ **Don’t be so sure, she really seemed to appreciate your participation.** ”

Priya: ”You think so?”

Me: “Yes, really. She said that this type of class was intended to make us think. You brought us back to reality, Priya. I’m sure that’s exactly what she was trying to trigger.”

Priya: ”Definitely, that seems to be her type… Thanks, having talked to you has cheered me up. I got the impression I went too far…”

Me: “No! Not at all. You were yourself and that’s the best thing to do.”

I smiled back at her. I looked at the time on my phone.

Me: “I’m going to have to go to class. Want to hook up later?”

Priya: ”It’s a deal. Have a nice afternoon.”

I smiled at Priya, and headed for the exit.

 

On my way to the auditorium, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. _It’s Rosa!_ “Tell me you found Alexy’s phone? He is on the brink!” I answered right back: “Yep, found it in the street! He got lucky. I’ll give it back afterwards, right now I have class.” “No need, you can give it to him tonight, don’t worry. He’ll be very grateful!” _The party! Gosh, nothing’s ready for the time being. If I don’t manage to see Yeleen now, I’m likely to make everyone come for nothing._ I didn’t answer and I scanned the hallway to see if I couldn’t find Yeleen before going into class. My cellphone buzzed again. _A message from Hyun this time!_ “Morgan said yes for tonight! It was a good idea to push me into inviting him! He actually seems really nice. Thanks. Can you give me your room number on campus? And what time should we come?” _Yikes, I’m a real pro at organising! I invite everyone before even having a place to throw the party. There’s Yeleen! She’s going into the auditorium. I’ll never manage to talk to her before class starts! Everyone is seated, the auditorium is already full and the teacher is getting settled in. A few seats are free next to Chani_. I went to put my stuff down next to her. _The class is going to last at least two hours… And Yeleen is on the first row…_ I consider sending a message to everyone to tell them it’s postponed.

Chani: “Are you OK Tetrakys? You look worried?”

Me: “Fine, fine… (I said that without taking my eyes off Yeleen at the front of the class.”

 _Argh, it’s definitely screwed. I’m going to send a message to Rosa…_ As I took my phone out inconspicuously under the table, I saw that I already had another message from her: “Fixing some nibbles to eat at the party tonight! Don’t bother with that. You just need to go to the store to pick up some drinks! Xoxo, see you later, can’t wait!” _Ahhh, honestly, the girl is faster than lightning!_

Chani: “Uh, Tetrakys…”

Me: “Hold on, I’ll be with you in a sec, I just need to answer Rosa.”

I started to answer her quick: “Rosa, it’s not gonna be possible for th…” I got interrupted in my rush by an unpleasant clicking. A little pudgy hand was tapping its nails on my desk…

Mr Lebarde: “I know we are at the university… And that my class isn’t one of the most… popular. However, if I don’t have your attention, Miss, I require at least your respect.”

I felt my cheeks climb in temperature immediately. Mr. Lebarde had gone to the trouble of walking all the way up to my desk to tell me that. The whole auditorium was watching me.

Me: “Um, I-I uh… ”

Mr Lebarde: “As I said during my first course, I’m not very concerned about what you do, but I do not tol-er-ate cellphones.”

Obviously, I must have missed the part of the class that dealt with that issue…

Me: “ **I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb…** ”

Mr Lebarde: “The harm is done, Miss… May I, as of now, count on your mental presence in my class?”

Me: “Y-yes, Sir.”

 _He seems much more impressive like that then when he speaks in a trancelike voice about medieval and ancient art._ I put my phone into my bag immediately and laid my hand on my desk. _I feel like I just got scolded like a little girl._ Mr. Lebarde went down the auditorium steps slowly, as all eyes followed him attentively. He stood in front of the board, and took a deep breath.

Mr. Lebarde: “Now. As I was saying… Celtic art in the 5th century is a major extension of the period…”

He resumed his class as if nothing had happened. _I wonder how he managed to see me. I’m seated on the other side of the auditorium._ Because of that, I don’t dare take my phone back out. _I’m going to have to wait until the end of the class._ The class moved on without any other interruptions, I guess mine was enough to calm the whole class down. The two hours seemed to last forever… I was thinking of Rosa making tons of little appetisers for tonight. _I really hope Yeleen is going to say yes. What am I thinking… Yeleen? Saying yes to me organising a party in our room?!_ The sunlight is fading outside… The end of the afternoon is drawing near. The end of the two-hour class finally rang. I stood up right away as I saw Yeleen leave. _I have to catch up with her!_

Chani: “Well, well, you sure got chewed out by Mr. Lebarde! I didn’t think he was the type to do that. I didn’t dare console you while we were still in the auditorium. I didn’t want him to go after you again.”

Chani followed me as we came out of class, but I have to catch up with Yeleen on the double.

Me: “Yeah, I’m sorry Chani, I really have to run!”

Chani: “OK, no prob! We’ll talk about Cistercian art some other time, then? I really wanted your point of view about it.”

Me: “ **Sorry Chani, Cisterthing is not really my thing... And I really have to run!** ”

Chani: “I know, I am well aware that is far from being your favourite course. I just said that to tease you. Run, you are in a hurry!”

Me: “Thanks Chani!”

_I don’t see Yeleen in the hall anymore. She must have left._

I spotted her in the dorm in front of the door of our room.

Me: “There she is!”

Yeleen: “Are you talking about me?”

Me: “Yes, I mean, you’re here.”

Yeleen: “I’m going to bed… What’s up?”

Me: “You’re going to bed?”

Yeleen: “Yes… Got a problem with that?”

Me: “ **Do you have another place to sleep?** ”

Yeleen: “What the…? Am I dreaming or are you throwing me out of my own room?!”

Me: “No! Really I’m sorry… It’s just that I had planned to have a little party, and I see you’re tired so I…”

Yeleen: “A party? In the room?”

Me: “Yes… The usual bars are closed… This was the only place that seemed feasible… Right, listen, just drop it. I don’t know what made me think it would’ve been possible, I’ll call it off.”

I walked towards the door of the room, digging in my pocket to pull out my phone. _I don’t know why I’m forcing myself to have the party tonight at all costs. I should have guessed that with Yeleen it wasn’t conceivable._

Yeleen: “Will your gothic girlfriend be coming?”

I turned to face Yeleen who was looking at me, her arms folded across her chest.

Me: “Uh… No, she wasn’t part of the plan, why?”

Yeleen: “So, have your party. I don’t mind.”

_I must have misheard._

Me: “What?”

Yeleen: “What time does it start?”

Me: “W-well, I haven’t set the time yet… I guess around 9 pm…”

Yeleen: “So are there a lot of people coming?”

Me: “There’ll be five of us…”

Yeleen: “OK… Are they art history students? Do I know them?”

Me: “No… I mean, I don’t think you know them... They’re students but not in our major.”

Yeleen: “Hmm… OK, but I’m warning you, I’m not cleaning up, or doing the shopping!”

Me: “O-OK. Thanks Yeleen.”

_I guess that means she’s going to stay for the party, too…_

Yeleen: “Don’t mention it. You’ll owe me one.”

Me: “Uh…”

Yeleen: “Try not to forget it.”

 _Why does she want to be part of the party so badly all of a sudden?_ I stood there with a blank look, my jaw hanging wide open in front of her. _Tonight with her… I’m not sure this is a good idea…_

Yeleen: “What are you doing? Aren’t you going to need to go buy what you need for tonight?”

Me: “Mind me telling me why you want to be at the party so badly…”

Yeleen: “I don’t want to be there so badly, you’re the one forcing me to be there.”

_Should’ve guessed._

Me: “I’m not forcing you to do anything at all, if it’s not possible, I’ll call off the party. It’s not a problem.”

Yeleen: “So if I got it straight, you don’t want me to be there.”

Me: “That doesn’t seem all that shocking to me. You and I have never been best buddies before.”

Yeleen: “That’s the least you can say.”

Me: “Listen, I don’t really get what you plan on…”

Yeleen: “You won’t be the only one at the party. I could make conversation with other people. In hopes that they aren’t as narrow-minded as you are.”

Rosa: “Hi!”

Me: “Rosa?”

Rosa: “You haven’t been answering my texts. I was starting to worry.”

Me: “It’s just that…”

Rosa: “Hi, you must be Yeleen. I’m Rosalya, an old friend of Tetrakys’. It’s nice of you to agree to the party, we had no other solution…”

_Rosa is too nice… I looked at her, my eyes wide._

Yeleen: “To tell the truth, we were just talking about it and…”

Rosa: “You’ll join us, obviously, won’t you, Yeleen? No way we’re kicking you out of your own room.”

I held back a little scream of protest. _What in the world is she up to?! Despite her knowing how things are between the two of us!_

Yeleen: “Well… yes, I’ll be there.”

_OK, great. I looked at Rosa questioningly, but she kept on like nothing had ever happened._

Rosa: “OK, I’ll go get Alexy, I’m just going to put the hot appetizers in the room. And we can meet back here at… 9 pm. Sounds good?”

Yeleen: “Sounds good to me! I’m going to get ready. See you later.”

With that, Yeleen did an about-face and went into the room. I ended up alone with Rosa in the hallway.

Me: “ **What got into you?** ”

Rosa: “I’m sorry, I panicked! I got the impression she was going to say no, so I played it sassy.”

Me: “Geez, Rosa…”

Rosa: “Maybe you’re judging her a little fast. She seemed nice just now.”

Me: “Am I dreaming or don’t you remember the first day I arrived on campus? You and I both saw her hassling Chani. You know what she’s worth.”

Rosa: “Hmm… Maybe we got there at the wrong time.”

Me: “You’re being too nice in this particular case.”

Rosa: “An old Chinese proverb says you have to stay close to your friends, and even closer to your enemies. At least, it’ll let you find more about her.”

Me: “That’s not a Chinese proverb! It comes from the movie The Godfather!”

Rosa: “Besides you invited Melody without telling me! I ran into her earlier, she told me she was bringing some fruit and quinoa salad. Did you tell her we were having a vegan party or what?”

Me: “Geez, Melody, I’d totally forgotten about that!”

Rosa: “Don’t worry, I’ll get in touch with her and tell her the time.”

Me: “That means there won’t be 5 or 6 of us, but instead 7 of us in my room! We’ll never fit. And on top of that, with Yeleen, I sense the atmosphere’s going to be special.”

Rosa: “Come on, relax, we’ll be there. Everything’s going to be fine, even if she’s there.”

Me: “Seriously you don’t know Yeleen and her devastating talent for wreaking havoc. Besides your room isn’t as small.”

Rosa: “You’re hardly exaggerating.”

Me: “No, seriously, I’m not exaggerating.”

Rosa: “Stop moaning. We’re throwing a party and you have alcohol to buy! So, go!”

I folded my arms across my chest and put on a grumpy face. Rosa wrapped her arms around me and whispered in my ear

Rosa: “I’d like to remind you that Hyun will be there tonight. The party may be more important than you think.”

Me: “ **I like Hyun, but he’s my co-worker. You’re imagining things.** ”

Rosa: “Yeah, right! We’ll see tonight when you’re not so inhibited dear!”

Me: “You’re losing it, Rosa.”

Rosa: “I’m going to put the appetisers in your room! 9pm: be on time!”

I dragged my feet down the hall to the elevator…

Rosa: “Hey! By the way!”

Me: “Wow, you’re faster than lightening, I thought you were putting the appetisers in my room!”

Rosa: “Done! I ran down the stairs. I wanted to make sure you were headed to the store and not standing us up.”

Me: “I wouldn’t want to run against you in a sprint.”

Rosa: “No, but especially, I forgot to get Alexy’s phone back. He won’t think it’s really his until he’s seen it with his own eyes.”

I took Alexy’s phone out of my bag and handed it to Rosa.

Me: “Here, you can reassure him.”

Rosa: “In fact I think it’s just an excuse, he’s more stressed out about tonight than he wants to admit.”

Me: “About Morgan?”

Rosa: “Yeah, he isn’t even sure he’s coming for the time being…”

Me: “I forgot to tell you, but yes! Hyun told me Morgan would come!”

Rosa: “Really? Excellent! Well, yes, about Morgan! I think the guy really caught his eyes… It’s love at first sight.”

_Alexy is pretty comfortable when it comes to this kind of thing… Maybe you’re right and it’s more important than it looks._

Me: “I hope it’s going to be OK for him tonight. Tell him to relax.”

Rosa: “I will, for sure. Well, I’m going to meet up with Alexy and find out what Leigh’s up to, this time let’s meet back up at 9pm without fail.”

Me: “OK, I’m going to do the shopping.”

Rosa: “See you later!”

Rosa headed through the campus gate. _I hardly feel like spending an evening with Yeleen when I was supposed to spend it with my best buddies… It annoys me to think that she dared to invite herself so shamelessly. But Rosa is going to so much trouble to get us all together… I get the impression she wants to relieve her high school years… I can’t blow her off._

 

 

Part 3 – The party

 _I am going to hurry to the store_. I crossed town, walking fast. Just when I arrived in front of the store, my phone rang. _Hyun! I totally forgot to answer him._

_Me: “Hello!”_

Hyun: “Hi… Uh, is it still on for tonight?”

Me: “I’m really sorry, Hyun, I’ve been running around like crazy and I haven’t had time to answer.”

Hyun: “No problem, don’t worry.”

Me: “Tonight, the party’s at 9, on campus, my room number is 719.”

Hyun: “Great! Do you have everything you need? Need help for anything else?”

Me: “No, thanks a lot. I’m taking care of everything, see you later.”

Hyun: “Later. And… I’m glad the party isn’t cancelled. Beep-beep!”

 _It cut off… OK, time’s flying, I’m going to end up managing to be late on my own party in my own room._ I walked through the store door and headed to the alcohol aisle. _What should I get…_ _**I’m going to get stuff for champagne soup. It’s refreshing, and different.**_ I got everything I needed, and went to the check-out register. I went up to the register and smiled at the cashier as I put my items down.

Me: “Evening!”

Cashier: “Your I.D., please.”

_He doesn’t seem very accommodating._

Me: “I’m 23. I’m way over the legal drinking age.”

Cashier: “Your I.D. or I won’t sell it.”

 _Come on, I don’t think I look like a child!_ Slightly offended, I rummaged through my bag noisily. _I always put my I.D. in the little inside pocket with my earbuds and my datebook. There’s nothing there anymore! I always have my billfold and my notebooks, but part of my stuff is lost._

Me: “ **I’m sorry I lost my I.D., but I’m really 23.** ”

Cashier: “Always the same excuses! And afterwards, I end up with the parents knocking on my door.”

Me: “I swear, I’m not lying, Sir. I’m old enough to…”

Cashier: “I can’t do a thing for you, go get some soft drinks and lemonade or I’ll call the police.”

Me: “What?! But…” _He isn’t going to call the police for so little! “I didn’t do anything wrong. I just want to buy what I need! Why do you want to call the police?” I don’t like this situation at all…_

Cashier: “It’s always my fault. Well, now, that’s over! I’m taking action. You’re the one buying, you’re the one with problems!”

Me: “He said that in a crabby voice, banging his big fist on the edge of the checkout counter.”

I leaped backwards, frightened by his gesture _. He seems especially wound-up._ He picked up the phone next to him and started dialling the number for the police.

Me: “I already told you I’m 23, you’re going to make them come for nothing!”

Rayan: “Tetrakys? Is everything OK?”

Me: “Mr. Zaidi?”

Cashier: “Who are you?”

Rayan: “I think what you meant to say in fact is ‘Hello, how can I help you?’, right?”

_That cashier seemed caught off guard by Mr. Zaidi’s tone._

Me: “As far as I understand the issue is about buying alcohol. You deserve credit for paying attention to the age of your costumers.”

Cashier: “Yeah, if I’m not careful, I’m the one who gets blamed and there’s no way that’s happening again for…”

The cashier started getting worked up again…

Rayan: “I totally understand. Don’t worry, the young woman is going to give me the money, and we’re going to act as if I were buying alcohol. That way, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Mr. Zaidi had taken what I was holding, and placed my items on the counter. The cashier finally let go of the phone and started scanning the items. I realised that I was short-winded. The cashier’s reaction scared me.

Cashier: “That’ll be $45.”

I pulled out my billfold. I gave the money to Mr. Zaidi.

Rayan: “Here you go.”

Cashier: “Hmm… Thanks.”

Rayan: “Don’t mention it. Have a nice evening.”

Mr. Zaidi picked up the bottles and the rest before heading straight for the exit.

Rayan: “Here.”

He gave me everything I had bought.

Rayan: “In hopes that no one sees me giving alcohol to one of my students, that could definitely be misinterpreted.”

Me: “Thanks a lot. I don’t know what got into him, in two seconds the situation changed dramatically, I…”

Rayan: “Don’t worry, he’s pretty wound up, people around here know it. You should always carry your I.D.”

Me: “I know, I do… I must have dropped it.”

Rayan: “Not just for buying alcohol but in case of a problem. If anything whatsoever happens to you, it’s better to have it. Especially for someone like you who comes home extra late.”

Me: “Right…”

I smiled at him. We did see one another in the alley the night it was raining.

Me: “You are right. Still I was convinced I had it…”

I searched for it in my bag again frantically. Unsuccessfully. I don’t get it… _What could I have done with it?_ All of a sudden, I had a stroke of genius.

Me: “In ancient art class! _”_

_I ran like crazy to catch up with Yeleen, I must have grabbed my bag and split part of things._

Rayan: “You left it in the auditorium?”

Me: “I think so…”

Rayan: “At this time of day, the auditorium doors are locked… However, I happen to have the keys.”

Me: “ **Could you go there with me?** ”

Rayan: “Of course, anyway, I was planning on going there to work later tonight… Follow me.”

Me: “Thanks a million.”

I looked at the time: _9:02… Oh no, it’ll be OK, I’ll hurry. At worst, Yeleen’s there now to welcome them._ At that thought, I make a face. I hugged my arms tighter to protect myself from the cold and I fell into step behind him all the way to campus. We headed to the art building fast. After rushing into the hallway of the art building, we both gave a sigh of relief, we realised we were finally sheltered from the wind. Mr. Zaidi started looking through his stuff for the keys to the room.

Rayan: “Talk about nasty weather! It’s the kind of cold evening that makes me want to sit by a fire and watch a silly Christmas movie, like Love Actually.”

Me: “ **Ohhh, the scene between Mark and Juliet with the signs… I’d give anything to see that movie again!** ”

Rayan: “I didn’t think it would be your thing! Most art students spend their time watching pedantic films to get ‘cultured’”

Me: “I don’t know if it’s really a good thing to do or not… in any case, I’m not all that into so-called art films supposedly essential for excelling in high society.”

Rayan: “For me, people excel more by admitting their little weaknesses that seem shameful rather than by spewing out names of filmmakers the general public’s never heard of. People showing off what they know isn’t attractive.”

I smiled at him. He dug his hand down into the pocket of his jacket.

Rayan: “Here it is! You’re going to be able to get your card back at last.”

I climbed the auditorium stairs two at a time up the place where I had sat a little earlier in the day. Nothing. There wasn’t the slightest little trace of my card. Someone else must have picked it up.

Rayan: “Find it?”

Me: “No…”

 _I came all the way here for nothing!_ I pulled my phone out of my pocket: 9:25pm! There are 2 missed calls from Rosa and 4 unread messages from Alexy. _Uh-oh, they’re going to lecture me._

Rayan: “There’s always lost-and-found. You can go there tomorrow.”

Me: “That’s true… Thanks all the same.”

Rayan: “Seeing that you weren’t buying notebooks and pens for reviewing my class tomowwor, I bet people are waiting for you.”

Me: “Uh, yes, that’s true.”

Rayan: “Is it a party on campus…?”

_I know parties in the rooms aren’t allowed…_

Me: “ **Yes. I confess I… We couldn’t find anywhere else.** ”

Rayan: “What’s a dorm room for if parties aren’t allowed in them?”

I didn’t say a thing, I just smiled at him.

Rayan: “Your secret’s safe with me. On the contrary, I’d love a good party like that to let off some steam. And considering what you picked at the grocery store, it’s sure to be memorable!”

Me: “I hope so. In any case, thanks for everything, the card, the grocery store earlier…”

I smiled shyly…

Rayan: “Before you go… I have something for you. I was thinking about giving it to you after class tomorrow, but… So long as I’m here.”

Me: “ **Really? What is it?** ”

He pulled an object out of his bag that looked like a small black can of spray deodorant.

 

[ ](https://ibb.co/jFbTL0)

Rayan: “I’d feel bad if something bad happened to one of my students…”

Me: “It’s…”

Rayan: “Pepper spray. I was worried when I saw you walking home alone the other night.”

Me: “Th-thanks…”

Rayan: “Especially, apparently it’s kind of my fault if you got the job. Better safe than sorry.”

Me: “It’s really… Thanks.”

I felt a little embarrassed in front of him. He had even taken the time to put a little ribbon on it. I looked at the ribbon, holding back a smile.

Rayan: “Yeah, I know, it might seem a little ridiculous but for me all gifts deserve wrapping!”

Me: “Haha!”

I let out a little ridiculous giggle that caught me off guard. He smiled kindly at me, leaning his hips against his desk.

Me: “ **I don’t know what to say… Thanks. Really.** ”

Rayan: “It isn’t much. I just hope you’ll never have to use it.”

 _He seems really serious when he says that_ … I put the little can of pepper spray away in my bag. Slipping it in, my phone screen lit up. _It’d 9:38 pm! Pretty soon I’m going to be an hour late if this keeps up_.

Rayan: “Go on, don’t keep your friends waiting any longer…”

Me: “Right, thanks. Have a nice evening…”

Rayan: “Thanks. See you tomorrow, Tetrakys.”

Me: “See you tomorrow… Sir…”

I looked at Mr. Zaidi one last time before going out the door.

 

I ran until I was out of breath, all the way to room 719. I didn’t even take the time to contact Rosa; I preferred coming straight here to keep from wasting any more time. As I got close to my room, I heard bursts of laughter and the Ratatat’s song ‘Wildcat’ making the door hinges vibrate. _Apparently, the party has already started, and sounds like it’s a pretty good start. Considering the rumbling of the bass against the wall, there’s no sense knocking, might as well go straight in._

Everybody: “Goyiizaaaaaa”

Me: “Huh… ? What?!”

Rosa: “No, no! GY-O-ZA, you really don’t get it!”

At that, everyone burst out laughing. Even Yeleen was holding her stomach as she laughed.

Me: “Uh… **Are you talking about me?** ”

My remark only triggered the hysterical laughter again with everyone getting a fit of the giggles.

Melody: “We are talking about gyozas, the Chinese dumplings Rosa made for tonight.”

She pointed to the tray set down on my bed where a dozen little appetisers were spread out.

Rosa: “They were making fun of me because I couldn’t pronounce it right. I’d finally succeeded just before you opened the door!”

Hyun: “Don’t worry Rosa, it’s never easy, but anyway it was still cute for you to try something like forty times.”

Laughing, Rosa gives him a little swat on the shoulder.

Hyun: “He called her ‘Rosa’. Apparently, the introductions were made fast, and they didn’t need me for that…”

Morgan: “Well, take off your coat and have a seat. It’s kind of crammed, but we’ll make room for you.”

I was surprised by the way Morgan spoke to me. _He seems really comfortable. Like everyone for that matter. Obviously they didn’t need me to break the ice_.

Alexy: “Oh, sure, make yourself at home!”

Yeleen burst out laughing, slightly overdoing it if you ask me. As I tried to make my way through the people seated on the floor, with little dishes and bottles scattered here and there, the conversations resumed, even livelier, as if I weren’t there. I managed to reach my closet, although not easily. Once my head inside, I stuffed my coat in on the top of everyone else’s. I took a deep breath before turning around. I’m practically regretting this party _. I feel like I’m in the way and strangely out of place_. I sat down cross-legged on the floor between Hyun and Alexy. Through the animated discussions, Rosa called out to me.

Rosa: “Did you manage to find what you wanted?”

Me: “ **Yes, I got everything. Sorry for the wait…** ” **_My feelings are kind of hurt about the way everyone welcomed me._**

I said that kind of bluntly, as I set down the bottles.

Rosa: “Is everything OK?”

Me: “Yeah, yeah.”

I answered coldly. _I can’t help it, my feelings are hurt, seeing them all having fun before I even get here. Even Yeleen. Especially Yeleen._ Rosalya looks me over as if she were trying to figure out what’s on my mind. She slipped behind Alexy to grab me by the shoulder and talk to me without anyone hearing.

Rosa: “What’s wrong?”

Me: “Nothing. I’m a little… I don’t know, maybe we shouldn’t have thrown this party.”

Rosa: “Stop it. You feel excluded because we were laughing when you got here. We were waiting for you, nothing else. We’re all happy you’re here.”

Me: “Hmm.”

I didn’t say anything, but what Rosa just whispered to me reassured me a little.

Rosa: “Didn’t you see my texts? I was mad at myself for leaving you to go alone to the grocery. I was even going to take off looking for you if you hadn’t answered in the next two minutes.”

I looked at my phone. For sure, I had new messages including one from Rosa that said “I’m worrying, let me know you’re alive!” I smiled when I read it.

Me: “There you go again, always imagining the worst.”

Rosa: “You see? Stop imagining things. Come on, now you’re here. I’m reassured. We can really get this party started.”

She looked at me with an infectious smile. And I couldn’t keep from winking back. She sat back down. I spoke again in the middle of the prevailing racket.

Me: “That being said, you weren’t very far from the truth… I came close to not ever getting back.”

Rosa: “Meaning?”

Me: “The cashier refused to sell me alcohol without showing my I.D., and I didn’t have it on me.”

Alexy: “Really? It’s not like we were still in high school. And even if we were, back then I don’t think anyone asked me for mine one single time.”

Melody: “That guy sounds crazy!”

Me: “For sure, and I wasn’t feeling too brave at the time. And that’s precisely the problem, Alexy. It must have gotten out that he accepted to sell alcohol to underaged kids and so he doesn’t want to anymore. At one point, I seriously thought he was going to call the police.”

Hyun: “That doesn’t surprise me, it’s not the first time that he’s made that kind of scene.”

Melody: “The police! You weren’t even in the wrong. How’d you work it out?”

Me: “ **Well… I got help from… another customer.** ”

I don’t feel like talking about what Zaidi did for me in front of Yeleen and Melo; you never know, I wouldn’t want it to blow up in his face…

Rosa: “Whew. That stinks. Anyway, I’ll know for next time, I’ll make sure I have my I.D. on me.”

Yeleen: “That guy’s got a problem, same thing happened to me last time. Except that, well… in your case, it’s understandable, but in my case…”

Me: “ **But in your case? Go on, finish your sentence.** ”

Yeleen: “Yeah, that’s what I was going to do before you cut me off. But in my case, I had my I.D. on me. And he still made the assumption that it might be a fake I.D. or who knows what.”

 _I wasn’t expecting her to say that… I thought that she was saying I looked much younger than her_. I felt like a moron. Everyone had started serving themselves generously in the dishes Rosa fixed.

Hyun: “Rosa, this is really yummy. You have a gift for Asian food.”

Alexy: “She can’t pronounce the names of the dishes but she knows how to make them, that’s not a bad start!”

Rosa laughed and pretended to roll her eyes.

Rosa: “I have a hunch it’s going to take all year to shake this pronunciation business off.”

My stomach started growling all of a sudden; I hadn’t served myself a single time. I picked up a dumpling and hewed it greedily. _It is really delicious!_

Me: “For sure, Rosa, this is excellent!”

Rosa: “Don’t at so surprised. You’re going to hurt my feeling!”

Morgan laughed cheerfully at Rosa’s answer. _I feel much better than when I first arrived… The conversations are flowing and everyone is talking with everyone… Ends up, it’s not so bad being here. It’s crowded but that makes us have to interact._

Melody: “Taste my salad, too! It’s my grandmother’s recipe. I added shallots simmered with nuts and lemon. I know it’s not the kind of thing you’re used to eating but…”

Sure enough, no one had touched it for the time being. We served ourselves in little plastic bowls.

Alexy: “Yum-yum! Melody, it’s excellent!”

Melody: “I told you so!”

Me: “It’s really good, It’s original!”

Melody: “I was fed up with eating macaroni and cheese every day on campus, so I started learning how to cook.”

Rosa: “Definitely don’t stop now, you’re doing so well. I want your recipe.”

Melody: “No problem.”

_Melody seems to be doing much better than when I saw her earlier today… She needed this._

Alexy: “So, it’s about time we made a toast to what we’re eating, huh?”

He grabbed one of the bottles set down across from us and took some plastic cups out of his bag.

Rosa: “To think we have class tomorrow… What do you have first?”

Yeleen: “We have Modern Art with Mr. Zaidi.”

_True, the first class is tomorrow._

Morgan: “The much talked-about Mr. Ow-aidi?”

Melody: “No, it’s Zaidi, with a ‘Z’”

Morgan: “I know it is, it’s just that e and a friend call him Ow-aidi just between us.”

Me: “What for?”

Morgan: “Because it burns when you look at him. If you see what I mean…”

Rosalya glanced at Alexy right away. How discreet! I stifled a giggle.

Alexy: “Oh… I agree with you. The man is charming…”

Morgan: “Incredibly. Incredibly charming. Who doesn’t want to walk all over him, literally?”

They both laughed and I saw their gaze linger over each other. Rosa and I gave each other a knowing smile, but we didn’t add a word... Hyun looked surprised to hear Morgan talk that way. _Considering how he described him to me as someone a little withdrawn, I get the impression that it’s the exact opposite, haha_.

Yeleen: “That reminds me of a game. Have you heard of ‘Never Have I Ever’?”

Melody: “Yeah, it’s not a bad game for getting to know each other.”

Right away, Alexy poured everyone a little shot from a bottle of whisky he had brought.

Rosa: “Is it a drinking game?”

Yeleen: “Well, you can play without alcohol, but it’s more fun with, the goal being to loosen up people’s tongue…”

Morgan: “I’m into it.”

Morgan said that as he looked Alexy straight in the eye. I couldn’t keep from biting the inside of my cheek. _Looks like Morgan has noticed Alexy, too._

Me: “ **Yeah, I’ve heard of it.** ”

Yeleen: “So I’ll let you explain it to everyone then.”

Me: “ **It’s really easy. Someone asks a question and the others have to drink if the question is true for them.** For example: ‘Never have I ever eaten chocolate.’ All the people who have never eaten any, have to take a sip from their glasses.”

Rosa gave everyone a glass.

Rosa: “We’re gonna do a few examples. I’m going to make an unsurprising, routine statement to see if everyone gets it. Never have I ever swum across the Atlantic Ocean. OK, those of you who agree with the statement, take a little sip. The others, leave your drink in front of you.”

Like me, everyone drank.

Rosa: “Let’s do one more as a test: Never have I ever worn nail polish.”

Rosa left the glass in front of her and didn’t drink anything.

 **I didn’t drink. _I love nail polish._** Rosa smiled at me. Yeleen, Melody and Rosa didn’t pick up their glasses and Alexy and Morgan drank a sip. Hyun left his glass alone, without saying a thing.

Rosa: “Hyun?! Aren’t you gonna drink?”

Hyun: “Well… Don’t tell me none of you has never played with your mother’s makeup and stuff?”

Everyone started laughing and Hyun smiled at me, giving me an apologetic look.

Me: “We won’t judge, Hyun, haha.”

Hyun: “At least that’s proof of my happy childhood!”

Rosa: “I’m sure there are pictures to prove what you say. And we want to see them!”

Hyun: “I hid them in a place that can’t be found and no one will ever lay their hands on them! All you need is an afternoon at my mother’s and she’ll pull out the stack of pictures of all the embarrassing moments in my childhood.”

Hyun laughed and shrugged his shoulders. The snickering started back up even stronger and everyone told stories about their childhood. _You can tell the alcohol is starting to warm everyone up. Everyone’s giggling at the drop of a hat._ Hyun leaned on my shoulder as he laughed at a joke Alexy made. Rosa turned the sound of the music up; it was ‘Arcades’ by C2C, and I started wiggling my shoulders and tapping my foot to the beat.

Hyun: “Since you teased me, now it’s my turn. I’m making the next statement.”

We all turned to face Hyun.

Hyun: “Never have I ever lied.”

 **I left my glass in front of me. _That’s been my case more than once._** Like everyone.

Morgan: “I guess it’s natural, we’ve all been led to lie at least once.”

Rosa: “That’s true.”

Yeleen stuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Yeleen: “Never have I ever fantasized about one of my teachers.”

Little giggles could be heard.

Rosa: “We all agree you said ‘one of my teachers’ so if it’s a teacher we’ve never had for a class, it doesn’t count.”

Yeleen: “Yeah, yeah.”

**I took a sip. The idea has never crossed my mind.**

Yeleen: “Really, never?”

Me: “Well… No. No one comes to mind, right now, just like that.”

Alexy: “Not even Mr. Zaidi?”

Me: “ **No, seriously, he leaves me cold.** ”

Hyun: “Really?”

Me: “Yes, haha, is that so surprising?”

Hyun: “No, but I feel like everyone’s talking about him. I’m in media and communications and even I know who he is. He’s the back-to-school phenomenon.”

Rosa, Yeleen, Alexy and Hyun drank, Morgan left his glass alone with a little grin and Melody didn’t touch hers either.

Alexy: “Melody?! You kept that secret from us!”

Melody: “Huh? What?”

She glanced at her still-full glass.

Melody: “No, but anyway, I’m going to go. I-I have a lot of things to do.”

Me: “ **Already? The party has barely started.** ”

Melody: “Yeah, I know… But I’m exhausted. I really have to go, I still have things to do for tomorrow.”

Me: “Do you want someone to walk you back to your room?”

Melody: “Thanks, that’s really nice, but it should be fine.”

She got up without looking at anyone in the eye.

Melody: “Thanks again for inviting me Tetrakys, it was nice to meet you all.”

Rosa: “Uh wait, before you go Melo, you didn’t even give me the recipe for your great salad!”

Melody: “You can count on me, I’ll send you a text.”

Me: “See you tomorrow in class, then.”

Melody: “Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

Everyone: “Bye, Melo!”

She took her coat that was stuck in the stack of clothes on my shelf. We all watched her go. And she left discreetly as the conversation picked up again. The atmosphere got even better. Everyone talked and joked, bringing up teachers and the Admin Officer.

Hyun: “Tetrakys, I think Melody forgot something.”

He handed me a pretty heavy notebook.

Me: “Oh, it looks like her notebook for her classes, she may need it tonight!”

Rosa: “Maybe we should take it to her, huh?”

She left a good fifteen minutes ago.

Yeleen: “She’ll come back if she really needs it, anyway, it’s too late to study.”

Me: “Or we could send her a text message? Is your phone charged, Rosa? Mine’s dead.”

Rosa: “Darn, same for me.”

Me: “ **I’ll take it to her.** ”

Alexy: “You’re going to miss the whole party!”

Me: “I’ll be back fast, keep going without me! Rosa, turn up the volume, the night isn’t over!”

Rosa: “Rosa complied immediately and started talking to get the atmosphere going again.”

I gulped down the rest of my glass and stood up. My head spun more than I was expecting. Hyun got up too and helped me get my coat.

Hyun: “What you’re doing is nice, she’s lucky to have you as a friend…”

Hyun’s cheeks are flushed from the alcohol and his eyes sparkly…

Me: “Ha-ha Hyun, it’s just a notebook.”

Hyun: “Still, not everyone would do it. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Me: “Have a good time without me, I’ll be in a flash.”

Hyun: “You can count on us!”

Hyun did a little dance with his fingers as the others burst out laughing.

I turned the knob. _If I’m lucky, Melody hasn’t had time to get very far_. _No Melo in the hallway… I don’t even know where her room is, maybe she went out to get some fresh air._

Me: “Melo!”

She left the building without having seen me. _I’m going to try to catch up with her_.

Me: “Melody!”

I crossed the campus to catch up with her. _The outer campus is practically deserted. It’s freezing cold_.

Melody: “Tetrakys?”

Me: “You left your notebook! I know you wanted to study tonight I thought you’d be needing it.”

Melody: “Thanks! You shouldn’t have, I could’ve done without.”

Me: “ **I hope you enjoyed the party anyway…** ”

Melody: “Yes, a whole lot. They’re all really nice. Thanks again for inviting me.”

Me: “Do you feel better compared to this afternoon anyway?”

Melody: “Yeah, much better. Don’t worry. I’ve just got a little too much on my plate, that’s all.”

Me: “OK. Feel free, if you need anything whatsoever.”

Melody: “Thanks, that’s really sweet.”

Me: “So I’m going back… They must be waiting for me.”

Melody: “Yes… I understand.”

Me: “So are you going back to the dorm?”

Melody: “I’m going to take a little stroll before going home. I love walking at night.”

Me: “Alone?”

Melody: “Yeah, yeah, it’ll be OK.”

Me: “Uh…”

_I remembered my first night and my walk home alone that almost turned out really badly._

Me: “I don’t feel comfortable knowing you’re walking around alone at this time of night.”

Melody: “Don’t worry, Mommy, I can defend myself!”

Me: “No, you misunderstood. I meant, there are some shady characters wandering around at this time of night. Really, be careful! I’d feel bad about having let you go off alone if anything whatsoever happened to you.”

Melody: “Don’t worry. I know how to dodge the creatures of the night, really!”

Me: “You’re laughing but I’m not joking.”

Melody: “You’re sweet. Don’t worry. I won’t go to any risky areas.”

Me: “OK…”

Melody: “See you tomorrow, in class.”

Me: “Yeah, see you tomorrow, Melo. **Watch out for werewolves, please!** ”

My remark made her burst out laughing. I watched her walk off for a second. _I’m shivering with cold… So, I’m going to get back to the party._ I headed back towards the dorm buildings. Right when I put my hand on the door to go in, I heard a scream. It was a female voice… It came from the stairs in the administrative building next to me. I froze in front of the door. Keeping my hand on the door handle, I turned around to see where it was coming from. Everything was dark. _There’s a girl on the stairs, a guy seems to be holding her back by her arm._ My stomach tensed up. Then she let out a crystal-clear laugh. _It’s just a couple having fun… Darn Tetrakys! You really have to calm down._ He pulled her roughly against him, grabbing her by her belt buckle. She laughed even louder… _I have to stop looking at them, I’m going to go back to the party with the oth… Wait… It’s Nath! I don’t know the girl… But it’s definitely Nath with her!_ I stood there five seconds, frozen, watching them talk, one forehead against the other. Then Nath bit her lower lip. I took a little step back. He looked up right then and stared at me. _Geez, what the hell am I doing?_

Nath: “Tetrakys?”

Me: “Sorry, I… I didn’t realise it was you!”

Nath: “What’re you doing?”

Me: “I don’t know, I didn’t recognise you until, I…”

The girl turned around to face us, her eyes going from Nath to me.

Me: “ **I won’t disturb you any longer.** ”

 

I started to make a U-turn. _After all, I’m not the least bit concerned. I was just at the wrong place and the wrong time._

Nath: “Don’t you like the show?”

I did an about-face.

Me: “Who’re you trying to get a rise out of? What’s the deal?”

My voice kind of cracked as I answered. _I don’t recognise him. He’s nothing like the old Nath, and I’m not sure I like the new version of him. No sure I need that in my life either._

Nath: “No, I…”

He ran a hand through his hair looking embarrassed.

Nath: “Sorry, I’m being a jerk.”

Me: “I agree.”

The girl started to shove him, asking him who I was and Nath said nothing. While she pulled him by his jacket collar, he remained impassive. _Who are you, Nath? He is the one I shared some unforgettable times with… I used to wait for his darn text message every night before going to bed. And I’d go to school with a knot in my stomach at the idea of seeing him. He was the most important person in my life, my little world revolved around him. And I loved him, boy did I ever love him…_ I felt a lump in my throat and my nails digging into the palm of my hand. _I can’t believe he has changed so much. I’m not going to stand here like a moron._ The girl kept asking Nath to explain, and he wasn’t even looking at her. I pushed open the building door, and went in.

Nath: “Wait!”

I kept walking to the elevator, determined to get out of this situation as fast as possible.

Nath: “I said, wait.”

He grabbed me by the wrist to hold me back.

Me: “ **Let go of me! Who do you think you are?** ”

I said that and twisted my hand to free myself from his hold.

Nath: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I looked at him a second; he seemed sincere. The girl who was outside with him a little earlier showed up. She looked at us a second, as if she were interrupting something between us and swooped down on him, screaming and calling me all kinds of names. I leaned up against the wall next to the elevator, Nath kept her at a distance, by taking a step backwards.

Nath: “I don’t have to justify myself to you. You don’t even know my name, no need to make a scene.”

She gave me a reproachful look, tight-lipped. She turned towards him and moved her face close to Nath’s, all the while looking at me. She stopped less than an inch from his lips. **I gave the girl a challenging look.** Nath turned his face away at the last second, keeping the girl from finishing what she started. The girl looked at me, I couldn’t keep from grinning. She gave him a slap that echoed through the whole lobby. Nath didn’t even flinch. His face slightly turned to the right, he just clenched his teeth but didn’t look at her. **_You asked for it, Nath_. ** The girl picked up her purse that had fallen at her feet, turned around and walked away towards the exit.

Nath: “I admit it… This time I was asking for it. Did you get what you wanted at least?”

Me: “Do you really think that’s what I want?”

Nath: “I didn’t want you to see that, you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s all.”

Annoyed by his remark, I turned to face the elevator without bothering to look at him to answer.

Me: “Believe me, I would’ve rather not seen what I just saw. You can’t treat people as if they had no feelings. I’ve never seen you behave with anyone the way you just did with that girl.”

I felt his icy hand grab my wrist, but much gentler. Nothing like earlier. And I heard his voice right behing my left ear.

Nath: “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I didn’t mean to.”

His breath ruffled my hair.

 

[ ](https://ibb.co/bDCDnf)

Then he let go of my wrist, and I heard his footsteps head towards the exit. I turned my head to watch him disappear into the night, but he didn’t turn around. I caught my breath and held a shaky hand to press the elevator button. I brooded over the images from the last few minutes… _What just happened got me completely out of the mood to go back and party with the others_. I heard the elevator doors close on the floor above. _It’s finally coming_ … As the elevator came down, I heard loud voices and bursts of laughter inside. The doors opened in front of me.

Hyun: “Tetrakys! We came looking for you to keep partying!”

Alexy: “Noooo Hyun! We’re going home because you’ve had way too much to drink!”

Me: “Oh, already?”

_After what just happened with Nath, I’m practically relieved I can go back to my room, cuddle up in bed and not think about it anymore._

Rosa: “Yeah, Hyun kind of overdid it while you were gone. But we had a good time, it was fun.”

Me: “OK…”

Alexy: “Did you manage to find Melody?”

Me: “Yes, I gave her her notebook back, we talked a little while and we just didn’t see the time go by while we were at it.”

_I don’t want to bring up Nath now._

Rosa: “As for me, I’m heading home. It isn’t very late yet… Leigh is most likely not asleep, so he’ll meet me on the way.”

Morgan: “And I’m walking Hyun back to our room.”

Me: “What about you Alex? You going home, too?”

Alexy: “Yes, I’m walking back with Morgan…”

He grinned at me and I understood the party must have gone pretty well for him.

Me: “OK, great… Send me a message and let me know you got home alright, please.”

Rosa&Alexy: “You can count on us!”

Me: “Thanks.”

They both hugged me. The smell of alcohol hung in the air along with Alexy’s cologne but it wasn’t unpleasant.

Hyun: “Hey, come on, I have the keys to the café, we can keep partying there!”

Everyone burst out laughing. And they got on their way to the boys’ dorms as Rosalya headed to the exit. I headed back upstairs and pushed the door to my room softly so I wouldn’t wake Yeleen. The room was plunged in darkness. Using the light from my phone, I walked to my bed, through the cardboard cups and plates, and lay down on my bed. I took off my shoes and jeans and slipped between the sheets like that _. I don’t have the energy to do more tonight… We’ll see tomorrow_. I closed my eyes and Nath’s face appeared… Then that girl… I see her close to Nath, he’s biting her lip, she returns his kiss… I opened my eyes in the dark _. I really don’t want to think about that_. I forced myself to go over my medieval and ancient art class again and again until I dozed off to sleep… My breathing got deeper… My head got heavier on the pillow… And I finally fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> So... this took a while. I am not sure I am going to keep the same format for the next chapters or I am going to skip some of the fillers and get right to the good parts.
> 
> MCL uses past tense to describe actions and present tens for thoughts and dialogues. Here I left them as they are, moreover thouhts are in cursive and choiches in bold. I added a few sentences here and there to describe settings and/or actions and/or characters and/or scenes.
> 
> Remember, this is my gameplay so I choose according to my preference. You may prefer making other choices, what I usually go for is:  
> \- try to be as nice as possible with everyone  
> \- thry to raise all L'OMs as long as the choices are compatible with my route  
> \- try to get all illustrations as possible while still following my route  
> \- I like flirty and sexy comebacks/scenes
> 
> My first language is italian but I decided to do this in english because the italian translation sucks terribly. So I am using my gameplays from My Candy Love and Sweet Crush.
> 
> Let me know if you like it and/or know of better choices, remember this is Nath's route as Nath's ex.


End file.
